Betaal Review: Netflix's The Walking Dead spin to Vikram Betaal makes for a good attempt but doesn't succeed

Series Name: Betaal

Betaal Director: Patrick Graham 

Betaal Cast: Viineet Kumar, Aahana Kumra, Suchitra Pillai, Jitendra Joshi, Jatin Goswami, Manjiri Pupala, and Syna Anand.

Betaal releases on Netflix today. After binge-watching the horror-zombie apocalypse, I couldn't help but remember my school days. Betaal reminded me of my days of a history class on a hot summer afternoon when I wanted the class to end and I could go to sleep. Produced by Shah Rukh Khan’s Red Chillies, Betaal takes the basic crux of the folklore Vikram and Betaal, adding a layer of history, blending in The Walking Dead and topped with a thin slice of Game of Thrones to serve a bad dish. 

Betaal is set in a tribal part of the country. It follows the lead of Vikram (Viineet), an army officer, who is in charge of evacuating the village in order to open up a tunnel that has been safely guarded by the locals for decades. Despite several warnings, the squad blows open the tunnel in order to construct a road. Soon enough, Pandora's box is opened. 

The cave breathes life into a regime that has been infected with Betaal's curse, an evil spirit in the mountains, and they are thirsty for a sacrifice to empower their leader. The army of the dead is lead by a two-century-old East India Company Colonel, Lt Col. John P Lynedoch. As the story unfolds, the Colonel spots a young girl, Saanvi, who is perfect for his sacrifice. Given that Saavni is under the protection of Vikram and his brigade of officers, the zombies attack Vikram and his team. 

Betaal, like the folklore, finds a home in Commander Tyagi, played by Suchitra Pillai. Watching he keeps a tab on the army brigade from her eyes, he plans his attacks and attempts to recruit Vikram into his army. In the process of the hunt, kill and obtain the girl, those killed by the zombies rise to become a part of the deadmen's army. The only way to bring an end to it, burn them. Rings a bell? 

If you are thinking of Game of Thrones and The Walking Dead, we are on the same page. Yes, given the equation of becoming a zombie has been similar over several zombie shows, one cannot help but draw comparisons. However, Betaal takes a weird twist. Instead of limiting the resemblance to just zombies, director Patrick Graham (who also worked on Ghoul) decides to take things a notch higher. 

The army of the dead march with characteristics similar to vampires and white walkers from Game of Thrones. When they were found, they were resting on the ceiling of the tunnel, like bats. Following me until now? Okay, good. As the series progresses, they start exhibiting features of a zombie, lifeless and hungry for flesh. Now, here's where I am confused. Are they a crossover between zombies and vampires? Are they zompires? What did Graham want to show? 

As for the narrative, the storytelling goes haywire in between, but tracks back to Saanvi and Vikram to engage the viewer. Honestly, I would have enjoyed the concept better if it were presented in a film format with crisper storytelling. In the attempt to build the fear, the moment took longer than it should have, failing to hit the mark but you are drawn back to the story. He also plants numerous controversial keynotes that are bound to grab your attention. This includes the government-induced encounters and the mention of Naxals.

The cinematography starts with the right tone. The first episode is a visual treat. However, as the series progresses, a few scenes of the series turn darker than needed. In the attempt to keep the tone dark and scary, the colours were toned down to a level where you are squirting. Increasing the brightness does not help in this case. That being said, the cast has done a fantastic job. Viineet and Suchitra shoulder the series to the finish line with ease. When Suchitra is on the screen, you cannot take your eyes off her. She manages to get under your skin slowly and steadily to give a great final blow. Giving Suchitra a tough competition is Manjiri Pupala who plays the role of a local tribe and would kill her husband to save everyone. Manjiri is a scene-stealer and how! 

Viineet as the righteous officer makes you feel sorry for him but at the same time, manages to get you invested in Vikram by the end of the first episode. Aahana felt a little underused. Her character is bold and everything we would vouch for, but it could be more layered. Every horror or thriller series needs good support from the music department. Anirban Sengupta, Naren Chandavarkar, and Benedict Taylor induce the fear with the background score to help elevate the scenes. Overall, the concept of Betaal is interesting. The folklore meets the zombie apocalypse forms for an interesting bite. But it loses interest when there isn't much to layer it with. 

Final verdict: If you have nothing else to watch during the lockdown, Betaal is a good option to kill time. But if you are thirsty for the typical edge-of-the-seat, horror experience loaded with jump-cuts, Betaal wouldn't suffice your need.