NEW DELHI: Inspector Hathi Ram Chaudhary (Jaideep Ahlawat) patrols the Capital’s roads by night with rookie Imran Ansari (Ishwak Singh). Asphalt blurs as the siren’s red, blue and white blaze bounces off the tarp of the PCR van, immersing the nondescript vehicle and its khaki-clad officers in an otherworldly light. As Chaudhary explains, their plane is not entirely grounded, forming a bridge between worlds; three to be precise.
Scripture splits the universe into ascending realms. The bottom rung is called paatal lok (hell) where the insects or the lower class fester, the middle tier comprises the dharti lok (earth) where the humans of the middle class toil and the supreme level is ordained the swarg lok (heaven) where the gods or the upper-class rule over the three kingdoms.
“Waise toh yeh shastron mein likha hua hai par maine WhatsApp pe padha tha (You’ll find these words in scriptures but I read these lines on WhatsApp,)” Chaudhary closes with a wry smile.
It’s this tongue-in-cheek anecdote by which Sudip Sharma, creator and writer of Prime Video’s crime thriller Paatal Lok, wants to introduce viewers to the world of the breakout series. “There’s been this sudden explosion of mythology after social media and WhatsApp came into being. While history connects us to our real past, mythology connects us to what we believe was our past; anything is being shoved down our throats in the name of mythology,” he says.
Employing myth in the series was the makers’ way of saying that over millennia, nothing has truly changed. That ancient, oppressive structures of power still dictate how the world works and by extension, how we view those who operate within its folds.
This story is from the June 2020 edition of RollingStone India.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the June 2020 edition of RollingStone India.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
anumitanadesan
The singer-songwriter talks about her first Malayalam film song, her upcoming debut abum and working across genres and languages
amrit ramneath
Understanding the interplay between abiding by tradition and progress is no new feat for this 25-year-old composer
yashraj
With chart-topping collaborations with seasoned veterans, this rapper has consistently been in the conversations of industry observers
dǝbzee
The 'Malabari Banger' hitmaker shares exclusive insights on his upcoming projects, life, and his vision for the future of music in India
taba chake
The Arunachal Pradesh-based singer-song-writer discusses how his latest song \"Kahani\" reflects the power of love songs.
ranj x clifr
The Bengaluru singer-composer and producer duo may not be done with hip-hop, but they are venturing into pop, R&B and Tamil songs next
RESHAPING THE FUTURE OF MUSIC
How digital collectibles, especially for live events, have a tremendous potential
Evnne On 'Un: Seen,' Their 'Seen,' And 'Unseen' Sides
The Band Discusses How A Setback Early In Their Career Spurred Them On And How They Fused Those Experiences With Their Sound In Their Second Mini Album, ‘Un: Seen
kayan
Between fandoms and aesthetic-setting live shows, artist Ambika Nayak talks about wanting to put out an album
anoushka maskey
Taking her “self-organized” Sunny Side Tour across the country, the Sikkim-origin artist is prioritizing consistent releases and exploring bossa nova next