Genre: Horror, Thriller
Episodes: 4
Language: Hindi
Online Release Date: May 24, 2020
Platform: Netflix
Age Suitability: 18+
About the series
Betaal, a zombie horror show, is produced by Shah Rukh Khan's Red Chillies and helmed by the showrunner: Patrick Graham (writer and director). This zombie horror drama centres on an Indian folklore, draws inspiration from the Vikram-Betaal legend and focuses on an undead army comprising zombie redcoats. The four-episode series starts off well with its first episode itself. The episode becomes extremely interesting when the army reaches the tunnel and peculiar things start occurring. The gripping battle sequence is masterfully presented by Graham and his team with each progressing episode. Indian cinema has evolved over the past few years in the horror genre with movies such as Tumbbad, Stree, Bhoot, Raat. Betaal as a series is a fresh-take on the zombie genre plagued with superstition.
Performances and Technical Details
Vineet Kumar leads the Betaal cast as Vikram Sirohi along with Aahana Kumra as Ahu Ahluwalia; supported by Suchitra Pillai (Karkash fame) as Commandant Tyagi, Jitendra Joshi as Ajay Mudhalvan, Manjiri Pupala as Puniya - a fiery tribal woman who stands up to the army and the zombie battalion with immense courage and Syna Anand as Ajay's daughter, Saanvi Mudhalvan. Ishaan Divecha, Naren Chandavarkar and Benedict Taylor are the team behind the music score. The trio have succeeded in creating a terrifying atmosphere and moist tension with their music. The writing is smart and has an interpretative quality to it making the overall setup feel relatable at a certain level. The action sequences are explosive, intentionally gory creating the desired impact. The series suffers heavily in the art direction specially in creating zombies character.
Overall Review
Betaalis a 'zombie treat' for all Indian viewers. It is a nail-biting thriller which is not to be missed.
WMR Rating: 4.0/5.0
Performance: 4.0/5.0 Script: 4.0/5.0 Screenplay: 4.0/5.0 Music/Background Score: 4.0/5.0 Cinematography: 4.0/5.0
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