10 Best TV Shows to Watch If You Like Paatal Lok (and Where to Stream Them)

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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.

Kohrra

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.

The Broken News

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.

True Detective

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.

Sacred Games

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.

Adhura

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.

Taj Mahal 1989

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.

Scoop

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.

Mirzapur

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.

Delhi Crime 

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.

Rocket Boys

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.

Netflix
Amazon Prime Video
Apple TV Plus
Apple TV
Crunchyroll
Hotstar
Jio Cinema
Zee5
Google Play Movies
MUBI
Sony Liv
YouTube
GuideDoc
Netflix Kids
Tubi TV
Yupp TV
Sun Nxt
Alt Balaji
Hoichoi
Hungama Play
Curiosity Stream
EPIC ON
ShemarooMe
DOCSVILLE
Tata Play
Discovery+
ManoramaMax
MX Player
Spamflix
aha
Plex
WOW Presents Plus
Magellan TV
BroadwayHD
Filmzie
Lionsgate Play
MovieSaints
Dekkoo
True Story
DocAlliance Films
VI movies and tv
Eventive
ShortsTV Amazon Channel
Amazon Video
Cultpix
FilmBox+
Takflix
Amazon miniTV
AD tv
Shahid VIP
Bookmyshow
Lionsgate Play Apple TV Channel
Eros Now Select Apple TV Channel
Lionsgate Play Amazon Channel
MGM Amazon Channel
Crunchyroll Amazon Channel
Hoichoi Amazon Channel
ManoramaMAX Amazon Channel
Chaupal Amazon Channel
BBC Kids Amazon Channel
Sony Pictures Amazon Channel
Vrott Amazon Channel
Anime Times Amazon Channel
MyZen TV Amazon Channel
Museum Tv Amazon Channel
BBC Player Amazon Channel
MUBI Amazon Channel
Discovery+ Amazon Channel
CuriosityStream Amazon Channel
DocuBay Amazon Channel
Stingray Amazon Channel
Iwonder Amazon Channel
NammaFlix Amazon Channel
JustWatchTV
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  1. Kohrra

    Kohrra

    2023

    #1

    When an NRI bridegroom is found dead days before his wedding in the countryside of Punjab, two cops must unravel the troubling case as turbulence unfolds in their own lives.

  2. The Broken News

    The Broken News

    2022

    #2

    Indian news channels Awaaz Bharati News and Josh 24/7 have opposing principles that lead to a fierce rivalry. The dynamic journalists attempt to balance their lives while facing an uncertain future.

  3. True Detective

    True Detective

    2014

    #3

    An American anthology police detective series utilizing multiple timelines in which investigations seem to unearth personal and professional secrets of those involved, both within or outside the law.

  4. Sacred Games

    Sacred Games

    2018

    #4

    A link in their pasts leads an honest cop to a fugitive gang boss, whose cryptic warning spurs the officer on a quest to save Mumbai from cataclysm.

  5. Adhura

    Adhura

    2023

    #5

    A supernatural thriller set in an elite boarding school with a secret so dark, it will shake up the lives of everyone connected to it.

  6. Taj Mahal 1989

    Taj Mahal 1989

    2020

    #6

    In and around Lucknow University in 1989, couples of varying ages explore the politics of love through marriage, budding romances and friendships.

  7. Scoop

    Scoop

    2023

    #7

    A journalist's life takes a 180 because of the very system that made her who she is. Will she fight or will she concede?

  8. Mirzapur

    Mirzapur

    2018

    #8

    The iron-fisted Akhandanand Tripathi is a millionaire carpet exporter and the mafia don of Mirzapur. His son, Munna, is an unworthy, power-hungry heir who will stop at nothing to inherit his father's legacy. An incident at a wedding procession forces him to cross paths with Ramakant Pandit, an upstanding lawyer, and his sons, Guddu and Bablu. It snowballs into a game of ambition, power and greed that threatens the fabric of this lawless city.

  9. Delhi Crime

    Delhi Crime

    2019

    #9

    Based on the Nirbhaya case, Delhi Crime follows the Delhi Police investigation into the finding of the men who perpetrated this crime.

  10. Rocket Boys

    Rocket Boys

    2022

    #10

    Spanning three crucial decades (1940-60s) in the history of India, the story chronicles the life of three great men responsible for launching India's space and nuclear programs respectively: Dr. Homi J. Bhabha, the architect of India's Nuclear Programme, Dr. Vikram Sarabhai, universally acknowledged as the Father of the Indian Space Programme and Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, the pioneer of modern Indian aerospace and nuclear technology. The season traces the journey of Bhabha and Sarabhai coming to terms with the challenges facing a young, independent nation and their friendship, sacrifice and determination.