Meet Hathiram From Paatal Lok!

Paatal Lok, the crime thriller, which premiered on Amazon Prime on May 15 with 9 episodes, has struck a chord with the audience for its dark, gritty yet intelligent writing. Produced by Anushka Sharma, this web series has also been subject to many controversies for taking a cold, honest look at India’s socio-political climate.

At the heart of the series we have Hathi Ram Chaudhary, a down-on-his luck and cynical cop, desperate to prove himself, who lands a high profile case of a failed assassination attempt. Initially Hathi Ram seems like a mere pawn in the larger picture. Does this Pawn become a Queen? No spoilers….Watch Paatal Lok to find out. 

Jaideep Ahlawat, who plays the lead protagonist Hathi Ram Chaudhary in Paatal Lok has also been seen in films like Gangs of Wasseypur, Raazi and Raees. His flawless, nuanced portrayal of the disillusioned policeman had the audience hooked!

But acting wasn’t always a childhood dream for Ahlawat even though he harboured a love for theatre. With the enthusiastic support of his parents, he pursued acting after his Dream Job – joining the army – didn’t come through. The Haryana-born actor then started honing his acting skills after joining FTII.

On playing Hathi Ram, the actor commented that he had never before been offered an intriguing, vulnerable character like Hathi Ram who was a failure in life and desperate to prove himself. He really enjoyed that he got – ‘to play someone with such a nice arc and so many shades to his personality!’

Elated by the successful response of the audience to Paatal Lok, Jaideep Ahlawat claims he feels like he cleared an exam with flying colours!

The actor’s interpretation of the story of Paatal Lok is, “It is a journey where you won’t know what’s the truth and what’s a lie.” However, Paatal Lok is being interpreted in different ways and that’s giving rise to controversy with ‘Boycott Paatal Lok’ being trending. Some netizens deem the show to be Hinduphobic and mocking Hindu beliefs.

Fun fact:- Jaideep Ahlawat’s favourite character from Paatal Lok is the fan-favourite ‘Hathoda Tyagi’, because he feels Tyagi is the most difficult to break!