Paatal Lok director shares Jaideep Ahlawat was the only choice for Hathi Ram

Paatal Lok director Avinash Arun, in an exclusive interview, spoke about his bond with Jaideep Ahlawat. The filmmaker revealed how Jaideep was their ideal choice for the lead as Hathi Ram Chaudhary.

In Short

• Paatal Lok will premiere on Prime Video on January 17
• Director Avinash Arun revealed that Jaideep Ahlawat was their only choice as protagonist
• He also spoke about the challenges of shooting the second season

With the return of the highly-anticipated series Paatal Lok for its second season, director Avinash Arun spoke about his bond with actor Jaideep Ahlawat. In an exclusive conversation with India Today Digital, Arun revealed that he always envisioned his close friend Jaideep as protagonist Hathi Ram Chaudhary in the series.

Tracing their journey back together in 2006 when Arun met Jaideep during the shoot of a diploma film, the director recalled his fond memories with , the director shared how even before Paatal Lok production began, the makers had envisioned Jaideep as ideal choice for Hathi Ram.

Reflecting on Jaideep’s evolution as an actor, Avinash said, “The first time I worked with him professionally was in Mumbai on a film directed by Prashant Nayak. Seeing him on set, I was amazed—there was a complete transformation in him. This was even before Paatal Lok. He was also in Tryst. I remember during the shoot of Tryst, Sudeep Sharma called me for Paatal Lok, I read the script and immediately said yes. Interestingly, even before production began, Sudeep told me that he only wanted Jaideep for the role of Hathi Ram Chaudhary. There was no second option. I was very excited because Jaideep is a friend, and I was thrilled to see him take on such a significant role."

He even spoke about his connection with Jaideep and said, “In 2006 when he was working on a diploma film, I had just joined, and he was a year senior to me. Even then, he was calm, quiet, and a bit of a joker. You would barely notice his presence—he was so understated. We used to have funny satsang sessions at night. These weren’t ragging sessions but informal gatherings where we’d talk a lot and laugh. Over time, I saw him take on various roles."

Working on a long format was something Arun had not done before. He opened up about the remarkable journey of crafting long-format content in a constantly evolving industry.

Reflecting on the challenges and learning curve of creating Paatal Lok, the director said, “In season 1 it was the first time, I was working on long-format content, as showmaking had just started back then. I wasn’t entirely sure how things worked, so everyone learned on the job. It was also Sudeep’s ( Sharma) first time creating a show. He spent around four years—from writing to shooting to post-production—bringing it to life. This season has taken a similar amount of time,” he told us.

Further, Arun discussed the difficulties of shooting in challenging conditions, including the harsh winter months. "The challenges are quite similar. You develop a different relationship with time while shooting because every day, you need to complete 5-6 pages within a limited schedule. This time, we were shooting during peak winters, and daylight was limited to just 9.5 to 10 hours. Everything had to be wrapped up within that window."

Despite these hurdles, he credits the show’s success for fuelling creative ambition. "Budgets were also very structured, with little room for contingencies. You’d think the success of the first season would change that, but ambition grows along with success. I feel like budgets are never enough, but in a way, that’s good because it fuels creativity."

Paatal Lok season 2 is set to release on 17 January on Prime Video.