Paatal Lok, starring Jaideep Ahlawat, launched on Amazon Prime in 2020 and sparked social media discussion. Hathiram Chaudhary, played by Jaideep Ahlawat, was the buzz of the town, and it is this character who has propelled the show into its second season. And, according to Pinkvilla, Jaideep Ahlawat is getting paid a fortune to reprise his role as Hathiram Chaudhary for the second time.

“One success can change the tide for all the actors. Our industry respects talent and success, Jaideep is one of the key reasons for Pataal Lok to succeed. While the actor was paid a nominal amount of 40 lakh for the first season, his salary has gone up by 50 times for the second season. He is paid a handsome sum of Rs 20 crore for season two of Paatal Lok,” revealed a source close to the development.

Unlike movies, OTT is a medium where performers make the least money, at least in the beginning. However, if things go well, the sky is the limit in terms of financial rewards for the performers. “It’s a common norm to hike the actor fees with every passing season. But for Jaideep, it’s a success story of sorts, as none expected the tides to turn in this way, so soon,” the source added.

His remuneration for theatrical films will remain much reduced, similar to the policy adopted by other performers working on OTT online series. The second season is presently in development and is set to premiere at the end of this year or early in 2023.

It will be one of the major draws for the streaming platform, which just launched 41 projects at an event.

Jaideep was most recently featured in the online series Bloody Brothers, a dark comedic thriller starring Zeeshan Ayyub. It’s a new series that’s a remake of the BBC’s Guilt, and it follows two brothers as they try to cover up a hit-and-run case while being pursued by witnesses and criminals.