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Paatal Lok Season 2 review: Solidly Gripping and Brilliantly Performed
What: ‘Paatal Lok Season 2’ – second season of Prime Video’s super hit neo-noir drama that explores India’s socio economic and political situations through a crime investigative lens, this time gets less sensational but more conventional but remains solidly gripping as the first season.
Paatal Lok Season 2 synopsis
Inspector Hathiram Chaudhary (Jaideep Ahlawat), this time goes to the picturesque Nagaland. A North Eastern Business Summit is scheduled in Delhi headed by Reddy (Nagesh Kukunoor), a prominent leader from Nagaland Thom gets brutally murdered and DSP Ansari (Ishwak Singh) is handling the case. Inspector Hathiram who is investing the missing of a daily wage worker from Bihar who does odd jobs as a band player in weddings and offloading of fruits gets interestingly connected with his ex-aide Ansari. How Hathiram and Ansari team up in Nagaland and face challenges from the local people, the diehard followers of Thom’s political party what role does Nagaland police headed by Tillotama Shome plays finds the crux of this investigation which leads to shocking revelations.
Paatal Lok Season 2 review
Less raw, more conventional (read crowd pleasing) but solidly gripping, Paatal Lok Season 2’ this time enters the North East. A shift from the previous themes of exploitation, molestation, casteism, religion and hate, director Avinash Arun Dhaware gives us more of an investigative thriller where the neo noir effect is reduced substantially. However, unlike the tussle between humanity and immorality in season 1, ‘Paatal Lok season 2’ finds more humanity in its clash with duty, responsibility, love, lust, greed, faith, fate and more.
It’s always a tough task to maintain the impact of such a dark noir crime drama and this time in their zest for survival, succeed in giving a less gory, brutal and sensational season 2 but fail to add extra layers to the characters. In previous season I awed by the way societal realities where portrayed but this time I was made to watch a crime thriller that has a shocking murder of a political leader but the politics/debate was missing.
And yes, predictivity does started to set in during the end.
Performance
Sheer display of brilliance one again
Jaideep Ahlawat does it again. He is exceptional.
Ishwak Singh is outstanding and has some fine emotional moments.
Gul Panag is good. Tillotama Shome is fantastic in whatever scope she gets. Nagesh Kukunoor is okay. Jahnu Barua is competent.
Technically well-crafted and a polished product like season 1.
Paatal Lok Season 2 review – final words
‘Paatal Lok Season 2’ – second season of Prime Video’s super hit neo-noir drama is less brutal, more conventional but equally gripping and enjoyable. I missed those dark de noir elements but my heart felt the beats in those emotional moments. It’s not easy to maintain the aura of such crime thrillers and in no way ‘Paatal Lok season 2’ bores you or has a single dull moment.
Going with 3.5 stars for season 2 as compared to 4 for the original. The difference is not because it is not compelling, it definitely is, but not pathbreaking as season 1.
Directed by Avinash Arun Dhaware and produced by Clean Slate Filmz, in association with Eunoia Films, the crime thriller is written, created, and executive produced by Sudip Sharma.
Paatal Lok season 2 is streaming on Prime Video from January 17, 2025.
Pls note: the web series is certified ‘A’ for violence, foul language
A child born from life & fed by cinema. A filmi keeda from child & a film journalist for the last fifteen years. a father, seeker, foodie who loves crooning bollywood melodies twitter.com/cineblues More By vishal verma