EXCLUSIVE! Jaideep Ahlawat: ‘Paatal Lok Season 2 took long because we wanted it to be platinum as Season1 was…’ | Not Just Bollywood

Not just entertaining, Paatal Lok Season 2 turned out to be even better than Season 1 being one of the most critically acclaimed series touching upon social and political issues. Jaideep Ahlawat as Hathi Ram Chaudhary was brilliant even in Season 2. Hathi Ram is not just a character, it became a mirror reflecting the complexities of society and humanity, striking a chord with millions worldwide. Season 2 delves deeper into Hathi Ram’s psyche.

 In an interview with Firstpost, Jaideep Ahlawat mentions as to why it took so much time to come out with Season 2. And considering that Season 1 was so well appreciated, yet he didn’t take any pressure and went with the flow.

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Edited excerpts from the interview:

The first season of _Paatal Lok_ was gold. What took so long to come with Season 2?

To make it platinum I guess. (laughs)

What was the pressure like since the first season was so successful?

You only take pressure when you believe that you have delivered something amazing. You feel a sense of relief when your work has reached out to the audience. You did something because you wanted to tell a nice story and you were in a particular headspace.

It’s Sudip Sharma’s (writer, producer) world that I’m going to represent somehow and somewhere. The show has been made with a very passionate and right frame of mind. It will channelise through me and then the audience. The audiences will sense the pressure of the maker of making season two.

When the script was ready, and all the cast and crew used to have reading sessions, we used to tell Sudip how he was taking a huge risk. And I was in it. I told him he has written something that is not cashing on the success of the last season, and I was really happy about it. He used to say ‘Dekha jayega jo hoga. Let’s go.’

You have given us back to back hits, be it Jaane Jaan, Maharaj, Three Of Us and not to miss Pataal Lok. What makes you choose your roles?

I genuinely don’t know. When you read a script, it gives you something, it gives you energy, the idea of the makers, the idea of that world, be it Jaane Jaan or Three Of Us, or Maharaj. When you read these stories, you find yourself challenged by it. I love those challenges and uncomfortable spaces. It could be the bald man of Jaane Jaan or a common man who loves poetry and embroidery. When you see Maharaj, Shiva is so strong.

What do you have to say about the way cinema has changed and how has it helped you in your journey?

Cinema changes after every 10 years. It is a continuous process. After every 10 years, we have a new mind-set, new technology. An entire generation becomes adult after 10 years. A child’s perspective about life changes and it’s a very progressive change.

As far as cinema is concerned, there are always new stories and experiments going on. We are in the era of global cinema. Audiences have different kinds of exposures to cinema. I would like to think that their understanding of cinema is much better now. And that helps you as a creator and as an artist.

How OTT is a great platform to experiment?

If the writers are experimenting, the liberty also passes on to the actors. And OTT is now a huge platform to experiment and I’m happy to be a part of it. The change comes from the writers and the makers. It’s a big space which was not experimented by the audience and the makers. I can have amazing stories of eight hours like Paatal Lok. To tell the same story in two hours would be very difficult. It would be difficult to understand that world. This platform gives you that space to breathe and spread your wings.

Paatal Lok is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video IN

WATCH the the trailer of Paatal Lok here: