Web Series Title: Paatal Lok
Creators: Sudip Sharma
Direction: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy
Cast: Jaideep Ahlawat, Gul Panag, Neeraj Kabi, Swastika Mukherjee, Ishwak Singh, Abhishek Banerjee
Music: Joseph Stephens
Cinematographer: Naren Chandavarkar, Benedict Taylor
Editor: Sanyukta Kaza
Genre: Crime, Thriller
Rating: ∗∗∗∗
What is it about: It’s a crime thriller web series created by Sudip Sharma and directed by Avinash Arun and Prosit Roy. The story follows around a cop, a journalist and a group of assassins. An assassination gone wrong kick starts an investigation which unravels the horrors of the political espionage.
Amazon Prime is has piqued everyone’s attention including its competitors with their direct to OTT release announcement. Paatal Lok started streaming the same weekend and caught everyone’s attention in no time not ‘cause of the announcement but its impeccable content. The series treads perfectly with no diversion and maintains a steady pace keeping the audience on their toes.
Few may call this “Scared Games” of Prime, but I wouldn’t as it carved a niche space of its own.
There’s nothing more engaging for the audience than being served a thriller true to its genre. Few may call this “Scared Games” of Prime, but I wouldn’t as it carved a niche space of its own. The segregation of the people based on “Lok” was brilliantly derived by the creators. It gives a delusion to the audience that they’ve cracked the case but surprises with chilling moments.
It has a brilliant cast. Jaideep Ahlawat as Hathiram Chaudhary tops the chart with impeccable timing and performance. We’ve seen him many roles earlier but this will be his landmark performance. Then there’s Abhishek Banerjee as Vishal “Hathoda” Tyagi. He was simply brilliant. He had very few dialogues to churn out but his body language was commendable. Neeraj Kabi as Sanjeev Mehra did a fantastic job followed by a great ensemble of supporting cast which includes Swastika Banerjee, Gul Panag, Ishwak Singh, Jagjeet Sandhu and Vipin Sharma.
The cinematography by Avinash Arun and Saurabh Goswami was good and perfect orientation of the said sect. Editing by Sanyukta Kaza was sharp followed by elevating score from Naren and Benedict.
Verdict: Sudip Sharma did a great job in putting together a series which handles the delicate subject with utmost maturity. The violence was not overdone had a sane representation. And it was backed with great performances and solid writing. Definitely, worth a watch. It’s currently streaming on Amazon Prime.
Watch the Trailer here:
