Never thought in my wildest imagination I would be part of ‘Paatal Lok 2′: Tillotama Shome

Mumbai, Jan 16 (PTI) From being a fan of the original to now playing one of the key characters in “Paatal Lok 2”, actor Tillotama Shome says she never thought she would be part of the critically-acclaimed show, which explores its women’s characters “without falling into deep cliches” in the second part.

Shome, one of the prominent actors known for her interesting choices across spectrums, be it cinema or OTT shows like “Qissa”, “Sir”, “Lust Stories 2”, “Delhi Crime 2” and “The Night Manager”, said she has always been a fan of the Sudip Sharma-created series that explores the power and crime nexus through the eyes of a weathered Delhi cop.

“I’m a huge fan of the show. The grammar of the show was path-breaking because of the storytelling, and the kind of men portrayed (on screen). I never thought in my wildest imagination that there would be a season two and I would be part of it,” Shome told PTI in an interview.

The actor said she was such a fan of the show that when she got the script, she spent hours reading it.

“I remember what I felt, and then we shot for season two, and I met the incredible team. It was amazing,” she said, adding that after completing the show, she asked Sharma to send her the script of season one as she was curious and wanted to read it.

“Paatal Lok” became an instant hit when it premiered in May 2020 on Prime Video in the middle of the pandemic with Jaideep Ahlawat playing the central character of Hathiram Chaudhary.

The second season brings back Chaudhary and Ishwak Singh’s Ansari as they deal with the murder of a prominent political leader from Nagaland. Shome plays the role of a cop named Meghna Barua, who becomes a part of the investigation.

“She (Barua) is a woman in a man’s world. She knows the ins and outs of it, and she is frustrated by it, but she knows what’s the most efficient way to deal with it so the work can get done. I like that through line that Meghna has, like knowing that this is how the men will react, and that’s in the writing.

“The triumph, for me, was the women in season two. There’s not just Meghna Barua’s character, there are other characters. You don’t get to see women like this without it falling into deep cliché and it was great,” she said.

Ahlawat’s portrayal of Chaudhary has always been a favourite of Shome who said none of her friends had met the actor, but they all celebrated his success because his love for acting came through in the performance.

“In Hathiram’s imperfections, you see your own. In his failures, you see your own. He keeps going, he keeps walking forward no matter how tired or broken he is, and you see yourself in that. You don’t need to be a cop or from that world to feel that.”

Shome said there are some successes that represent a “collective victory” for actors like her, and that’s how she views Ahlawat’s popularity after “Paatal Lok” season one.

“For all of us as actors within the community, watching Jaideep was a sense of validation for us. His success gives you great joy and everyone shares it. We all have our insecurities but when a community comes together, when a performance is that rare that it makes you love what you do, his victory becomes a shared one for the rest of us,” Shome said.

Shome, like Ahalwat, has had an interesting career filled with acclaimed movies and shows, and she credits it all to the “good work” that she has been offered in her career.

“It sounds like I’ve made those choices, but they came to me. When you get a script, and you see writing of a certain calibre and you see a woman’s body framed in a certain way and it makes you feel that it is familiar yet unfamiliar, you know you want to be part of it. That’s the easiest decision to make. The difficult part is in between,” she said.

“Your choices are made a lot in the period when you are waiting, like what you do when you don’t have work. That for me is the real choice because if I don’t like the script, I won’t do it. But if I don’t like a script and I do it, it’s a choice I made, I’ve to live with the choice.”

Actors Nagesh Kukunoor, and Jahnu Barua are the new additions to the cast of “Paatal Lok 2”, which is set to premiere on Prime Video on Friday.