Hyderabad: “All my life, I have enjoyed making films from behind the camera, but there was something about the script of Paatal Lok Season 2. I was drawn to it the moment I read it,” says 12-time National Award-winning filmmaker Jahnu Barua.
Known for making the voices of the subjugated and marginalized heard through his films, Barua donning the role of Naga revolutionary leader Uncle Ken is something he strongly relates to. The character of Uncle Ken represents the Naga people, who have been ignored by the mainstream for decades. “The character represents the deprivation of the Nagas in Nagaland and their freedom movement. Systematic deprivation makes Uncle Ken an antagonist against the system, and that is what I portray,” explains Barua, whose performance is garnering appreciation for its depth and authenticity.
Set against the backdrop of Nagaland’s ongoing political struggle and insurgency, Paatal Lok Season 2 deals with the region’s challenges, with Uncle Ken playing a crucial role in shaping the narrative. The series is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video and has been receiving rave reviews.
“I keep getting offers to act in movies off and on, but I had never agreed. This script was so intense and detailed about the burning issues of the Northeast that I couldn’t say no,” says Barua while speaking to ETV Bharat over the phone from Mumbai.
Uncle Ken, the son of a corrupt political leader, wages a battle against corruption—not just within his own family but against the entire political system. “Nagas are independent, and they want to assert their right to self-determination. Uncle Ken’s character represents this struggle,” explains the Padma Shri and Padma Vibhushan awardee, who has been directing films for over 42 years. He has helmed over 17 films in Assamese and Hindi and served as chairman of the Indian Film Directors’ Association in 1993.
Barua, who began directing films in 1982, has won 12 National Awards and several international awards for his films, which often revolve around social justice, inequality, and the struggles of marginalized communities. He received critical acclaim for Aparoopa (1982), which portrayed a strong Assamese woman breaking societal norms. Produced by the National Film Development Corporation of India, the film won the Rajat Kamal for Best Regional Film in 1983 at the National Film Festival.
“I keep a little distance from people in the industry, particularly those who do not have much respect for the people or society in the Northeast,” says Barua, who ventured into Bollywood in 2005 with Maine Gandhi Ko Nahi Mara (I Did Not Kill Gandhi). Though the film did not achieve commercial success, it was critically acclaimed.
Written, created, and executive-produced by Sudip Sharma, Paatal Lok Season 2 is about the complex politics of Nagaland while maintaining the essence of a thriller. Directed by Avinash Arun Dhaware, the series features Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Gul Panag, Tillotama Shome, Nagesh Kukunoor, and many others. It stands out for its characters’ use of Nagamese, a language commonly spoken in Nagaland.
On his long break since Bhoga Khiriki (Broken Window) in 2018, Barua says he prefers to work at his own pace. “I have been working on international projects involving the United Kingdom and Australia for a long time. I don’t like hyping my work before a project is completed. People will come to know about these three projects soon,” he says, adding that two of them will be in English and Assamese.
Ask him what does he think about his acting debut in Paatal Lok 2 and the director minces no words to say, "The series is a brilliant work and I am sure people will like it."
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