Oct 26, 2026 11:00am IST
‘Paatal Lok’: Director Avinash Arun Steps Away From the Series, Says Sudip Sharma Will Helm Season 3 (EXCLUSIVE)
Avinash Arun, who directed the first two of “Paatal Lok”, will not return to direct the third season of the Prime Video crime drama. The director has confirmed exclusively to Variety India that he is stepping away from the franchise, with creator Sudip Sharma set to direct moving forward. There is, however, no clarity yet on whether Prosit Roy, who co-directed the first season with Arun, will return if the series gets a third instalment.
“Over the last five years, I’ve been working continuously. Having done two seasons of ‘Paatal Lok’, I just want to take a break and step back for a while because it has been truly overwhelming,” Arun tells Variety India.
For Arun, who also served as cinematographer on the show, stepping away is about recognising when he has taken a particular creative journey as far as he can. “Sudip Sharma will be directing the show moving forward; I am not returning. ‘Paatal Lok’ is a very dense show, and I feel like whatever I had to give to it, I’ve given completely. I’ve lived it in my DNA and my bones, and I am extremely grateful for that entire process,” he says.
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Created by Sudip Sharma, “Paatal Lok” follows Delhi police inspector Hathi Ram Chaudhary, played by Jaideep Ahlawat, as he navigates investigations that expose the inequalities, power structures and violence beneath the surface of Indian society. The first season premiered in 2020, with Arun and Roy sharing directing duties. Arun returned to direct the second season, which premiered on Prime Video in January 2025, taking Hathi Ram’s story into the politically charged landscape of Nagaland.
Arun’s exit marks a change for a series whose distinctive visual language has been closely associated with his work behind the camera. The filmmaker says that combining directing with cinematography has made the process particularly demanding, especially when working at the pace required by a long-form series.
“Since I shoot and direct, the workload doubles. While I love that dual responsibility, shooting six to seven pages a day as both DoP and director is an incredibly demanding experience,” he says.
Despite his decision to step away, Arun has nothing but admiration for Sharma, whose writing and understanding of human behaviour have been central to the series. The filmmaker describes the creator as one of the most formidable talents working in Indian entertainment today, particularly for his ability to construct stories driven by violence, moral ambiguity and deeply flawed characters.
“Sudip Sharma is a beast, one of the greatest talents we have. The best body of work delivered this decade belongs to him. He is simply fantastic,” says Arun, who has directed movies including "Killa," "Three of Us" and "Prahaar: The Untold Story of Ujjwal Nikam."
The filmmaker’s next chapter, meanwhile, could take him away from the grounded crime dramas that have defined much of his recent work. Having spent years immersed in stories rooted in social realities and psychological intensity, Arun says he is keen to test himself in genres that offer a different kind of creative challenge.
“I’ve spent the last few years steeped in intense, grounded stories. Now, I want to step into uncomfortable zones and explore genres like fantasy, science fiction and love stories. Stories choose you as a medium. I’m just waiting to see where the universe takes me next,” he says.
Arun’s departure does not, by itself, confirm the status of “Paatal Lok” Season 3. Sharma has previously indicated that another season would depend on the story and the circumstances coming together, rather than being an automatic continuation. With Arun now ruling himself out, the direction of any future instalment remains to be seen, including whether Roy will return to the franchise.
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