Camera’s Gaze on Nagaland in Paatal Lok 2: Northeast India in New-Age Hindi Cinema

Watching Mithun Chakraborty and Madhuri Dixit draped in a Naga shawl singing the love song “Pyar kabhi kam nahin karna” (Never Reduce Love) from Prem Pratigyaa (1989) was my first visual encounter with a glimpse of Naga culture on screen. It was an unusual yet significant moment—one that affirmed our presence in a cinematic world where we are often invisible. Seeing one’s homeland, people, or cultural symbols depicted on screen is both thrilling and affirming, especially for a marginalized community like the Nagas, whose representation in Hindi cinema has been almost nonexistent.

A handful of films—Dil Se (1998), Tango Charlie (2005), Mary Kom (2014), and Anek (2022)—have since brought Assam, Manipur, and Nagaland into mainstream narratives. However, these portrayals have primarily focused on political instability, insurgency, military conflicts, and violence. By 2025, a new wave of anticipation emerged among the Nagas with the release of the Paatal Lok 2 trailer—a streaming series where Nagaland takes center stage. More importantly, this season features a significant number of Naga actors—a first for mainstream Hindi entertainment, showcasing a diverse range of Northeast actors, including Assamese and Nepali artists. While this is an incremental shift, it marks an important moment for Nagaland’s presence in mainstream cinema. The season delves into the crime underworld of Nagaland, portraying it as a lawless, violent territory ruled by local crime syndicates, insurgent factions, and corrupt officials. Hathiram Chaudhary (Jaideep Ahlawat), reinstated in the police force after the events of Season 1, becomes entangled in a case with deep political and national security implications. As he navigates the dark corridors of the Northeast’s underworld, he faces both personal and professional challenges.

My initial curiosity about Paatal Lok 2 wasn’t sparked by the trailer itself but by Amazon Prime’s promotional video titled “Jaideep is UNWELCOME in Nagaland.” In this little more than a three-minute clip, the series’ lead actor, Jaideep Ahlawat, is repeatedly warned against traveling to Nagaland. A character taunts him from a car: “If you just want to get roasted, why go all the way to Nagaland? Come to my show.” Farida Jalal dramatically declares that Hathiram’s fate will be doomed if he enters Nagaland. Another character menacingly wields a cricket bat, warning: “I only break bats; you’re going to have all your bones broken in Nagaland.” The underlying message was clear—Nagaland was being framed as a space of danger and lawlessness.

Also, at the start of the series, a senior police officer discussing a murder case remarks, “It’s about Nagaland; you have no idea how difficult it gets in these sensitive areas.” It is typical that in the national consciousness, only two regions—Nagaland and Kashmir— are labeled as “sensitive areas.” While Kashmir and, more broadly, Muslims have long been depicted in Hindi cinema through the lens of violence and terrorism Fiza (2000), Mission Kashmir (2000), Fanaa (2006), New York (2009), My Name is Khan (2010)), Nagaland is only now entering this cinematic framework of tension and militarization. The fact that citizens from Nagaland, as well as Jammu and Kashmir, are ineligible for Tatkaal passports further underscores the region’s exclusion within the nation. With Paatal Lok 2, a pressing question arises: How does Indian cinema continue to shape—and distort—the country’s perception of Nagaland?

Watching Nagaland on Celluloid

Hindi cinema often relegates Nagaland and the Northeast to narratives of lawlessness, insurgency, and conflict. This trend is evident in Tango Charlie (2005), which depicted Bodo extremists; Dil Se (1998), which showcased Assam’s insurgent groups; Anek (2022), which explored peace negotiations with Northeast militants; and now Paatal Lok 2 (2025), where Delhi police officers intervene in Nagaland’s “criminal space.” The implicit message remains unchanged: Delhi symbolizes power, order, and control, while the Northeast is portrayed as an unruly frontier requiring policing.

Even when Northeast actors appear in mainstream Hindi films, they are often confined to villainous or exoticized roles. Zhokhoi Chuzho played a Chinese gangster in Force 2 (2019) and Saaho (2019), reinforcing the stereotype of Northeast Indians as foreign and menacing. Similarly, Arunachal Pradesh actress Chum Darang was cast as a Chinese infomercial girl in the first season of Paatal Lok. The cinematic lens still struggles to depict Northeast actors outside of the outsider trope.

A particularly glaring issue in Paatal Lok 2 is its depiction of Nagaland as a homogenous entity, disregarding its rich tribal diversity. The characters’ names—Daniel Acho, Uncle Ken, Rose Lizo, Jonathan Thom, Reuben Thom, Grace Reddy, Silas—are overwhelmingly Anglicized. While English names are common in Naga society, this selective representation erases the linguistic and cultural heterogeneity of the state. Nagaland consists of 17 major tribes, each with distinct traditions, customs, and naming conventions. The absence of indigenous names in the series reflects a lost opportunity to authentically portray the region’s complexity. Instead, Paatal Lok 2, much like Anek, reinforces the perception that the entire Northeast is a monolithic community.

Even the setting is altered. Some scenes purportedly set in Kohima were actually filmed in Darjeeling, and Reddy’s Hotel—presented as a Kohima landmark—is actually a hotel in Darjeeling. This geographical misrepresentation not only misleads the audience but also distorts the local economy and urban landscape.

The Stereotyping of Nagaland & the Northeast

If Kashmir was once Bollywood’s primary cinematic shorthand for terrorism and insurgency, the Northeast now seems poised to inherit that role. In Paatal Lok 2, Nagaland is depicted as a violent, crime-ridden region, while Delhi is portrayed as the epicenter of power and order. This framing is not new—Bollywood has long positioned mainland India as the site of justice and intervention, while the Northeast, much like Kashmir, is shown as a lawless periphery.

This portrayal echoes Bollywood’s long-standing depiction of Kashmir as a place of perpetual violence. Films such as Roja (1992), Haider (2014), Shershaah (2021), Yahaan (2005), The Kashmir Files (2022), and Article 370 (2024) among many others have consistently framed Kashmir as a battleground for terrorism and insurgency. Even when these films attempt to humanize Kashmiri characters, they rarely move beyond the narrative of conflict.

Similarly, mainstream Hindi cinema remains unsure of how to portray characters from Nagaland. As a result, the Northeast is gradually becoming a cinematic stereotype. Political, social, and academic voices have long critiqued Bollywood’s misrepresentation of Kashmir and Muslims, leading to a gradual shift in narratives. However, similar scrutiny is yet to be applied to the representation of the Northeast. And Nagaland along with the Northeast at large is at risk of becoming the next Kashmir in cinematic narratives—forever trapped in a cycle of stereotypes, misrepresentations, and cultural erasure, if we don't object to this trend.      

Cinema plays a powerful role in shaping public perception and national consciousness. However, with this influence comes the responsibility of ensuring accurate and nuanced representation. When it comes to Nagaland and the Northeast, mere visibility in mainstream media is not enough. It is crucial that depictions move beyond reductive stereotypes and engage with the region’s historical and cultural intricacies in an informed and authentic manner—free from outdated colonial narratives that continue to frame these communities primarily through the lens of conflict and violence.

 Akishe L. Jakha is a Film and Media scholar from Nagaland, specializing in popular cinema and regional cinematic culture. He researches Nagaland’s film and media history alongside its material practices.