‘Paatal Lok’ season 2 review: The netherworld has a new address but a familiar roadmap

A businessman from Nagaland is brutally killed during a summit in Delhi that aims to funnel massive investments into his conflict-ridden state. Thom (LC Sekhose) is found dead in the bathtub, his head severed from his body and placed in the spot that usually holds shower gel and scented candles.

Thom’s murder rattles the summit’s participants, including Naga community elder Ken (Jahnu Barua) and Kapil Reddy (Nagesh Kukunoor), who has vast business interests in Nagaland. While club hostess Rose (Merenla Imsong) and musician Raghu are the initial suspects, nothing is as it seems.

After Delhi Police inspector Hathiram (Jaideep Ahlawat) and his junior-turned superior Imran (Ishwak Singh) take charge, the investigation turns away from the capital in the direction of Nagaland’s seat of power. In Kohima, the probe widens to include Thom’s politically influential wife and his estranged son.

Hathiram and Imran encounter resistance wherever they turn, including from local police officer Meghna (Tillotama Shome). The sniper Daniel (Prashant Tamang) is on the prowl, ensuring that Hathiram and Imran sweat buckets in Kohima’s thin air.

The second season of the Prime Video series Paatal Lok strives to match, if not outdo, its acclaimed predecessor, which depicted contemporary India as a version of hell on earth. Created by Sudip Sharma…

Read more