Dhruv Sharma
Amazon Prime’s ‘Paatal Lok‘ unfolds its storyline under the grey, murky skies of the Indian capital where there are no heroes or villains, only broken people living in their disillusioned realities. Both visually and thematically, ‘Patal Lok’ presents a captivating story that primarily revolves around the life of an inspector named Hathi Ram. Hathi gets the opportunity of a lifetime when three men and a woman get arrested for plotting the murder of a journalist named Sanjeev Mehra. But what initially seems to be a window of opportunity soon leads him to the darkest corners of his world.
‘Paatal Lok’ is being widely appreciated for its brutal yet enthralling depiction of crime and rightfully so. If you haven’t watched it yet, go check out on Amazon Prime. For those who have seen it already, here’s a list of other similar Indian shows that you would not want to miss out on. All the shows mentioned below can be streamed on Amazon Prime, Hulu or Netflix.
6. Bard of Blood (2019-)
Based on a novel written by Bilal Siddiqui, ‘Bard of Blood‘ not only proves to be an extremely captivating espionage thriller but also gives you a glimpse of Emraan Hashmi‘s true potential as an actor. The show centers around an excommunicated RAW agent Kabir Anand, who teaches literature to school kids. But when four Indian spies are caught during their mission in Balochistan, he is pulled back into his old world. With this, Kabir’s past begins to resurface and what started off as a rescue mission soon changes everything he knew about himself and the world around him.
5. Jamtara (2020-)
Although ‘Jamtara‘ was not backed up with Netflix’s hefty promotions, soon after its release, the show turned out to be somewhat of a sleeper hit. Revolving around the true story of cybercrimes in India, ‘Jamtara’ centers around the lives of a group of young men who earn a living through a profitable phishing operation. But soon, their scheme, and the world that rests on its pillars, comes crashing down when a politician tries to roll back on its profits and a cop tries to stop it.
4. Leila (2019-)
‘Leila‘ is more of lesser-known dystopian drama series that tells the fictional story of a mother who frantically searches for her daughter. Although ‘Leila’ has garnered a mixed bag of reviews since its release what makes it a worthy entry on this list is its graphic portrayal of religious extremism and the dreadful lives of those who end up on the darker side of an authoritarian state. Its depiction of the future is also quite appreciable and the fact that it’s a miniseries makes it perfectly binge-able.
3. Delhi Crime (2019-)
‘Delhi Crime’ happens to be one of the finest offerings of the Indian crime drama genre. Based on a real Delhi gang-rape case, it walks you through the intricacies of the police procedural of the Delhi Police that sets out to find the perpetrators of the crime and serve them justice. Along with that, it also takes a critical look at the role of media by highlighting how crimes can often be wrongfully sensationalized. Taking on the responsibility of recounting an incident that shook the nation to its core is certainly not an easy task. But ‘Delhi Crime‘ almost leaves no stone unturned and aptly creates the emotional atmosphere that the story deserves. Highly Recommended!
2. Mirzapur (2018-)
Amazon Prime original ‘Mirzapur‘ delves into the world of mafia boss Akhandanand Tripathi—played brilliantly by Pankaj Tripathi—whose son, Munna, becomes the heir of his legacy. One wrong move of the mafia’s power-hungry successor gets him eye-to-eye with Ramakant Pandit, a lawyer, and his sons, Guddu and Bablu. With this, a relentlessly violent conflict ensues between the two families where neither will stop at anything. While most other shows on this list harp on suspense, ‘Mirzapur’ heavily relies on its raw action and drama to keep you entertained. Moreover, even its attention to detail is very impressive.
1. Sacred Games (2018-)
‘Sacred Games’ is Netflix’s first Indian original, and since its release, several shows on the platform have tried to surpass its widespread popularity. But even after all these years, the show very well manages to retain its hold and has also been nominated for the International Emmys. Starring Saif Ali Khan and Nawazuddin Siddiqui, ‘Sacred Games’ follows Inspector Sartaj Singh, a fraught cop, and Ganesh Gaitonde, a renowned gangster. When the lives of these two characters cross paths, Sartaj Singh finds himself in the middle of a huge conspiracy that not only threatens his city but almost the entire nation.
Read More: Paatal Lok Ending, Explained
