Paatal Lok came out with their first episode on the 15th of May, just this year, which was a great time since we were all in a lockdown when it happened, and it gave us something to watch! With their great timing and their gripping story, it came as no big surprise that the show had become on e of the most popular shows on Amazon Prime Video, coming in the top shows being watched in India.
A crime show, Paatal Lok follows the story of a cynical police inspector named Hathiram Chaudhury who is tasked with a very high-profile case that leads him to the darkest corners of the underworld, thus giving the show its name: Paatal Lok. The show unfolds, showing us the great, and often, dangerous lengths politicians go to, to get their way.
Like we said, it is an absolutely gripping show that has you hooked from beginning to end, and since you’re here, we’re guessing that you loved it and have been bitten by the bug of crime, looking for more shows like it! Well, you’re in the right place because we’ve put together a list of shows that you can watch next!
Here is the List of Top Crime & Thriller Web Series Like Paatal lok to watch while staying at home:
Sacred Games
Avaialble on Netflix
I think the first on our list rightfully goes to Sacred Games, the Saif Ali Khan and Nawazuddin Siddiqui starrer that took the country by storm when it was released in 2018. I think it is also safe to say that Sacred Games paved the way for a lot of shows in the same genre that were trying to achieve the same amount of success. It also put well-made crime shows on the map, encouraging a growing interest in shows of the sort, especially those made in India.
The show follows the story of Sartaj Singh, a cop who gets an anonymous tip that tells him the location of Ganesh Gaitonde, an infamous criminal overlord. The tip sparks into a search of the city and what follows is a captivating cat-and-mouse chase between the two characters that leads Sartaj into the dangerous parts of the underworld. Sacred Games has come out with two seasons so far, and if you missed them before, it’s time you watch them! The similar themes are sure to draw you in and keep you hooked!
Asur
Avaiable on Voot
Next on our list is Asur, another series that was released in 2020, only a couple months before Paatal Lok. While Paatal Lok emphasises the crime aspect within the series, Asur focuses on the mystery and thrill that comes with it. With just one season spanning only 8 episodes, Asur will be a quick watch that you can even just watch in one sitting, if you’re okay with watching minute after minute filled with heavy topics that bring to light, the dark sides of the world.
Starring Arshad Warsi, Asur follows the story of Nikhil Nair, a forensic-expert-turned-teacher who gets called back to his roots of working at the Central Bureau of Investigation along with his former mentor to solve a case of serial killings. Set in the holy, yet mystical city of Varanasi, the show combines crime with mythology in the most alluring way possible, and if you enjoyed watching Paatal Lok, we definitely recommend that you watch Asur next, because it is sure to blow your mind!
Mirzapur
Available on Amazon Prime
Next on our list we have Mirzapur. Mirzapur released its first season in 2018, and is yet to come out with its second; something that the fans are eagerly waiting for. The first season consists of just 9 episodes, and like Asur, it’s something that you’ll be able to watch pretty quickly and easily, especially if you like the crime thriller genre.
The series follows the story of Akhandanand Tripathi who become a millionaire exporting carpets in not the most legal way. Nonetheless, the excessive empire that he built for himself made him the big mafia boss in Mirzapur. But, unlike him is his son, Munna, a sheer good-for-nothing character with no brain but lots of hunger for power, and it is this hunger which tells us that he will stop at absolutely nothing to continue his father’s legacy.
Full of drugs, guns, and lawlessness, Mirzapur takes us the dangerous bands in UP that are completely run by power-hungry goons who’ll go to any lengths to get what they want. As good a gangster story as any, Mirzapur is definitely worth a watch, and the emphasis on the other side of the coin is what makes this all the more interesting!
Bard Of Blood
Avaiable on Netflix
This next series, Bard of Blood, based on a novel of the same name by Bilal Siddiqui was released in 2018 with 7 episodes in tow. Working with a concept with which the Indian audience is quite well-acquainted, the series follows the story of an excommunicated agent named Kabir Anand, who becomes a literature teacher in hope of a life of peace, but when 4 Indian spies get arrested in Baluchistan, he is jerked back into his old world; out of peace.
The sudden change-back finds him in a rescue mission, but what started out as a relatively straightforward (albeit dangerous) task turns into the stuff of nightmares when old demons begin to resurface, forcing Kabir to rethink his life and the world he thought he knew.
With Emraan Hashmi in the lead, the series shows us the true potential of the actor in a show that is very compelling and keeps you hooked to the story. With just 7 episodes, it makes for a quick watch over the weekend, and if you’re on a high after Paatal Lok, this one is definitely worth a try!
Leila
Avaiable on Netflix
Next on our list is thoroughly underrated show. Over time we’ve seen a number of movies and shows that predict what the world will be like in the future. With the old classics portraying chips in brains, and flying cars, and floating cities, to the more recent ones portraying the loss of human connection, loss of privacy, overall environmental ruin and generally darker visions. This next show, Leila, shows us a glimpse into a future that is exceedingly bleak and full of danger.
The show follows the story of a mother in search of her daughter Leila in the backdrop of a ruined nation functioning on religious extremism and with an authoritarian government in-charge. The show really brings to light the dangers of a truly dystopian future where those who fall on the bad side of the authority face severe consequences.
It is this bleak portrayal that makes it a compelling watch, and works as caution to properly think through the decisions we make today. The show almost seems to call out, “no one is safe.” A gripping miniseries, we wholeheartedly recommend that you give it a watch.
Jamtara- Sabka Number Ayega
Avaiable on Netflix
Next up we have yet another gripping 2020 release, Jamtara- Sabka Number Ayega. Released early into the year, in January, Jamtara has up until now delivered its first season of 10 episodes, and hopefully the second season is going to come out in the fall of 2022. Like we said earlier, Sacred Games really paved the way for a lot of other crime-centred shows to pop up on the map, and Jamtara is one of the shows in Sacred Games’ wake.
The series follows the story of a group of young men in a small village who run a phishing operation that leaves them with quite some profits. But the secluded world they’ve built for themselves comes crashing down when a politician gets involved, wanting to glean some share of the profits, as well as a cop who wants to stop the entire operation.
Receiving hardly any backing from Netflix, Jamtara went unnoticed for quite a while, but has now become extremely popular, with people waiting eagerly for the next season. The series really shows the reality of cyber crime in India in a way that is realistic, scary, and engaging. After Paatal Lok, we think you’re going to love it.
Delhi Crime
Available on Netflix
Last on our list, we have Delhi Crime. Delhi Crime is definitely not an easy show to watch, and despite all the shows we’ve mentioned so far being quite heavy, Delhi Crime is that one step further, considering that it is based on a real-life event- the brutal gang-rape that happened in the capital of our country, the Nirbhaya case.
Delhi Crime aims to bring out the little details of the police and the procedure they follow to deal with the crime; finding the perpetrators, and serving justice. It also offers a deeper look into the functioning of the media in a terrifying time such as this, and how the manipulation of facts can lead to large-scale consequences.
A show that will shake you to your very core, Delhi Crime took on a crime that shook the nation and did their absolute best to turn every stone and take in every detail to provide us with the most informed perspective on the police and media during the time. This is another show that absolutely deserves a watch, and the closeness with reality is what makes it sit deeper in our minds.
That brings us to the end of our list! We’d love to hear what you think of these recommendations or if you think we’ve missed out on any good ones. Let us know because we’d absolutely love to hear from you!
