10 Best TV Shows to Watch If You Like Paatal Lok (and Where to Stream Them)
One of the finest Hindi crime dramas on streaming, Paatal Lok, premiered in 2020. But the show’s cult status makes it regularly trend on the Indian streaming charts. The gritty police procedural finds two morally righteous policemen (Jaideep Ahlawat and Ishwak Singh) investigating an assassination attempt on a journalist. But as the plot thickens, the cops question their morals in front of a society breaking down with religious intolerance, casteism, and corrupt bureaucracy.
If you love the Amazon Prime Video original, we offer you many other shows similar to Paatal Lok and where to stream them.
Created by Paatal Lok showrunner Sudip Sharma, Kohrra investigates the dark side of Punjab. Much like Sharma’s previous show, Kohrra’s leads include a veteran cop and his relatively innocent rookie. As they dig deeper into the disappearance of a bridegroom, they fall into the depths of toxic masculinity and the troubled history of the Indian state.
If you loved Jaideep Ahlawat’s convincing lead performance as Hathiram Chaudhary in Paatal Lok, you should also watch the ZEE5 original The Broken News. Exploring the sensationalism of Indian TV news, Ahlawat delivers another masterclass performance as a top-ranking channel’s editor.
Fans of Paatal Lok seeking some shows from the West must try out a few seasons of True Detective. The HBO anthology series is similar in tone as a slow-burning investigative drama. The lead characters are often morally broken individuals with each season delving into the psychological impact a crime can have on the investigator.
In terms of the social issues Paatal Lok addresses with its violent storyline, Sacred Games makes for a perfect companion watch. The first-ever Indian Netflix original, this Emmy-nominated series is a binge-worthy thriller with Saif Ali Khan playing an obsessive cop and Nawazuddin Siddiqui as a megalomaniac gangster.
Ishwak Singh was the breakout star of Paatal Lok, thanks to his performance as Hathiram’s rookie Imran Ansari. To get more of him in the thriller genre, watch the supernatural mystery Adhura. The Prime Video series finds Singh playing a man who revisits his school after decades. But when strange things begin occurring, the mysterious protagonist must question his actions from years ago.
Neeraj Kabi played a journalist who becomes the target of a bigger mystery in Paatal Lok. But the veteran theatre, TV, and film actor has also shown in vastly different roles in the OTT space. If you need more of Kabi’s dramatic energy, Taj Mahal 1989 can be a good watch to begin with. The Netflix romantic anthology is set in the titular year and stars Kabi as a poetic middle-aged teacher.
Along with criminal investigation, Paatal Lok is also an interesting show to know more about the current state of Indian journalism. The fact-based thriller Scoop is a similar example recounting an investigative journalist’s struggle to prove her innocence after she’s falsely accused of murder.
While it is pulpier and bloodier than Paatal Lok, Mirzapur makes for an entertaining watch if you need more popular Indian crime thrillers on Amazon Prime.
Much like Paatal Lok’s lead characters, Delhi Crime humanises its khaki-wearing protagonists without any forced glamorisation. Shefali Shah leads a talented ensemble with a story that draws on some of Delhi’s most shocking cases.
Apart from Paatal Lok, Ishwak Singh’s other notable performances include his portrayal of nuclear scientist Vikram Sarabhai in the period drama Rocket Boys. Recounting the early years of India’s first nuclear programme, this Rocket Boys is uplifting, informative, and truly binge-worthy.
In the list below, we offer you all the options on where to watch these shows in India.
