Betaal
Indian zombie horror series set during the Indian Rebellion of 1857.
Betaal (transl. 'Demon') is an Indian zombie horror television series. The story takes place in a remote village where a battle unfolds between East India Company Army officer Lt. Col John Lynedoch, his battalion of zombie redcoats from the Indian Rebellion of 1857, and a fictional force called the CIPD. Patrick Graham wrote and directed the series, with National Award winner Nikhil Mahajan serving as co-director. Blumhouse Productions and Red Chillies Entertainment produced it, and Vineet Kumar Singh and Aahana Kumra play key roles. The series received mostly negative reviews; critics praised the performances and the blend of mythology with zombies, but criticised the lack of thrills and the editing.
The plot follows Commandant Vikram Sirohi, who leads the Baaz Squad, an elite unit assigned to clear land for development in remote parts of India. Working with corrupt businessman Ajay Mudhalvan, Vikram forces villagers to relocate, unaware of hidden dangers. When a tunnel clearing operation releases an undead army led by a British colonel seeking power, Vikram and the survivors must face their past mistakes and fight for survival. As the chaos grows, Vikram’s team discovers the undead horde’s origins and the colonel’s plans. Trapped in a remote barracks, they deal with internal conflict as Tyagi falls under the colonel’s control and Mudhalvan betrays them. Haunted by past atrocities, Vikram finds redemption by protecting Saanvi, Mudhalvan’s daughter, who holds the key to stopping the colonel. Sacrifices lead to a final showdown, destroying the colonel’s shrine and freeing Saanvi.
The cast includes Vineet Kumar Singh as Vikram Sirohi, Aahana Kumra as DC 'Ahlu' Ahluwalia, Suchitra Pillai as Commandant Tyagi, Jatin Goswami as Assad Akbar, Jitendra Joshi as Ajay Mudhalvan, Siddharth Menon as Nadir Haq, Manjiri Pupala as Puniya, Swapnil Kotriwar as Kanji, Meenal Kapoor as Shakuntala Mudhalvan, Yashwant Wasnik as Sarpanch, Savita Bajaj as Mausi, Ankur Vikal as Bhunnu, Pankaj Upadhyay as Inspector Khurrana, Richard Dillane as Colonel Lynedoch, Krishna Singh Bisht as Kaushal, Pawan Singh as Yadav, Akhilesh Unnithan as Chandran, Ratan Nag as Tripathi, Shrishti Fadtare as Leila, Tanmay Khemani as Drummer Boy, Syna Anand as Saanvi Mudhalvan, and Harshvardhan Singh as pretas.
The series was ordered by Netflix on 15 June 2019. Patrick Graham wrote and directed it, with
- Genre
- Zombie horror
- Creator
- Patrick Graham
- Co-director
- Nikhil Mahajan
- Producers
- Blumhouse Productions, Red Chillies Entertainment
- Lead actors
- Vineet Kumar Singh, Aahana Kumra
- Release date
- 24 May 2020
- Number of episodes
- 4
Lore & Background
The series follows Commandant Vikram Sirohi, who leads the Baaz Squad, an elite unit tasked with clearing land for development projects in remote Indian regions. Complicit with corrupt tycoon Ajay Mudhalvan, Vikram follows orders to forcibly relocate villagers, unaware of the dark secrets beneath the surface. When a tunnel clearing operation unleashes an undead army led by a British colonel bent on domination, Vikram and survivors must confront their past sins and battle for survival against the supernatural onslaught.
Reader's Guide
Betaal is significant as a collaboration between Blumhouse Productions and Red Chillies Entertainment, marking the second partnership between the production house and Netflix. The series attempts to blend Indian mythology with the zombie genre, set against the historical backdrop of the Indian Rebellion of 1857. Postcolonial scholar Johan Höglund's academic study notes the series' political content, arguing that the zombie pandemic represents an attempt to render the apocalyptic violence and death that unregulated capitalism performs on ecology and precarious communities. Despite its ambitions, the series received generally negative reviews, with critics citing a lack of thrill and poor editing, though performances and the use of mythology were praised.
Did You Know?
- The series was announced on 15 June 2019 and shooting wrapped up in August 2019.
- The trailer was released by Netflix India on 8 May 2020, and the series started streaming on 24 May 2020.
- The series stars Richard Dillane as Colonel Lynedoch, the British colonel leading the undead army.
- The show was co-directed by National Award winner Nikhil Mahajan.
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