Paatal Lok: Positives & Negatives of this largely positive show

I binged on entire Paatal Lok today. My entire family and I sat through 400 minutes+ non-stop. Mom didn’t even go for her walk for the first time in a long time, which is a testament to how engaging it was.

This isn’t really a review but some points come to mind.

Positives:

1. Politically progressive and bold. Potshots at patriarchy, Arnab, communalism, right-wing politics, capitalism, nationalism etc. Good and rare to see OTTs continuing to be unfailingly left of Center.
2. Largely realistic and gripping writing, direction and cinematography
3. The character, character-development and performance by the protagonist – Jaideep Ahlawat
4. Also, performances by Vipin Sharma, Neeraj Kabi, Abhishek Banerjee, Ishwak Singh. And the surprise casting of Anup Jalota.
5. Engaging, largely not unnecessary subplots and backstories. Including the symbolism of dogs.

Negatives:

1. By the time you get to the end, you feel cheated of having spent so much time on following Neeraj Kabi’s and his wife’s stories. Although not unbelievable, you wish they’d have found a stronger core rationale for the plot.
2. The character whose killing the whole plot supposedly revolves around, is weak, underdeveloped and one you never root for. Hence after a point you don’t care much about him.
3. Too much screentime to the subplot involving Neeraj Kabi’s wife – Swastika Mukherjee – that doesn’t advance the core story at all.
4. Once the initial investigations and character expositions are done, the rest really drags. The show could at least have been edited into 2–3 episodes lesser. It’s actually not very binge-friendly, last 2–3 episodes, you keep shifting in your seat.
5. Some directorial liberties that are convenient but break the realism
6. Nearly everyone in this world is horribly bad, dark, violent and abusive. There is a difference between realism and voyeurism.
7. Some gruesome violence and rape
8. The casting of Gul Panag is completely inappropriate
9. The shifting of political loyalties in the last episode is confusing and not comprehensible.
10. The antagonists sparing the protagonist is completely unbelievable and jarringly breaks the realism.

Overall, among the really good Indian originals. It continues Prime’s dominance over Indian content. Recommended but not with expectations of best-ever-greatness.