Betaal review: An incoherent yet convincing Netflix thriller

Netflix India has come under criticism when it comes to its Indian content, as many of its recent Indian shows performed underwhelmingly.

Betaal, a zombie-thriller, is a positive step for the online streaming platform.

Betaal mixes traditional Indian myths and folklore with zombie fantasy creating a very intriguing and a fresh new concept. A counterinsurgency squad is deputed with clearing a tribal-populated area for a private construction project that triggers an ancient curse that unleashes an army of the dead. The concept is just brilliant, but the writing isn't. The writing is incoherent, it fizzles out after the first episode. It has been written by Patrick Graham and Suhani Tanwar who fail to optimize on the concept itself. 

Vineet Kumar Singh is second-in-command of the Indian Army's Baaz squad, he earnestly portrays various dilemmas and gives an honest performance. 
Aahana Kumra is sharp and powers her performance with grit. 

Suchitra Pillai is convincing but eventually suffers from caricature traits. Jatin Goswami as Akbar, Siddharth Menon as Nadeer Haq and Ankur Vikal as Bhunnu are supportive. Jitendra Joshi is pleasant and adds realism to the one tone evil villain Mudhalvan. It is, however, Munjiri Pupala as Puniya that takes the cake and steals the show among the actors. Her portrayal of a tribal oozes a deadly combo of warmth and badassery.

The show consists of some unintentional laughs, terribly misplaced dialogues and lacks depth in writing but visually it is outstanding. Yes, there are many typical tropes of a horror film/show with slow camera pans and close-up cuts, but it is the atmosphere and setting that makes you hooked to it throughout the four episodes. 

The cinematography by Srinivas Achary and Tanay Satam is top-notch. Rutuja's set design is wonderful, so is the show's terrific sound design by
Ankita Purkayastha. The technical aspects including the zombies and their makeups, of the series transport you to the place where the thriller takes place. 

Co-produced by Shahrukh Khan's Red Chillies Entertainment, Betaal is also the first Indian web show to explore the zombie space.

It is a good showing for a zombie-thriller and has proved how the Indian entertainment industry has evolved in visual and sound effects. Betaal is flawed by it's writing yet deserves a watch simply because of the fresh concept and visual story-telling. Watch it.