Betaal Series Review || Mediocre At Best

Betaal Series Review

Okay so I'm never really interested in Netflix India or Amazon Prime India content because its always filled with all the same Government bad, Hindus bad, 4th or 5th wave feminism, LGBTQ ftw garbage, and other 'Woke' ideas. Take any show and tell me it's not there. So I just stay away from such content.

For Betaal, I was actually excited as Asur was a quite good show and Tumbbad blew us away with the use of Indian mythology blended with horror. I thought Betaal will do the same because the premise is actually good. It was finally made available for streaming on Netflix yesterday and I was finally able to watch it. So yeah, here are my thoughts on the show.

What I Liked?

• The Plot Premise

A team of paramilitary troops, Baaz Squad is tasked with relocation and elimination of supposed Naxalites from the Betaal Mountain area so that the Government can successfully create highways through these lands. While the tribals are not really Naxals as you would have guessed, there is something more dangerous lurking in the Betaal mountain. There is a hoard of British Era East India Company zombies trapped inside the mountain whose only goal is to rule India. Now few stupid steps are taken and the zombies get freed and Baaz Squad has to deal with this army of undead and save our country. 

This premise was good and there was a sort of mini commentary on tribal rights and how tribals are getting killed under the false accusation of being Naxals.

• The Acting

The acting was phenomenal from everyone the actress who played the part of tribal woman stole the show for me. Great acting on her part. 

Two strong female characters are there who don't need to tell us that they are strong.

The dialogues were stupid but the actors delivered what they were given. 

• The sound and cinematography was excellent and reminded me of Tumbbad and those rock music filled zombie-killing montages from Hollywood films.
• Yes, forgot to mention, the show is produced by Shah Ruk Khan and Gauri Khan so the production quality is top-notch and makes presentation better.

What I Did Not Like?

The whole premise could have been used nicely to propose some really critical questions about Tribal rights or development and its impact on rural life but Nah, we will go full Bollywood with it.

There is no basic zombie logic in this show. There are so many holes in the plot which will constantly nag you and will ruin the viewer's interest. The show could have gone all out stupid but it didn't. It took itself too seriously and that's where it became a joke sadly.

So the show is not fully enjoyable nor is it a deep thematic experience. At times it is pretentious.

As I mentioned earlier about Netflix or Amazon content, there is that forced 'woke' content here too in the first episode which really pissed me off. I don't want your tabloid bullshit or liberal propoganda in my shows or movies. 

The dialogues are over the top, come out of nowhere, and are very forced. 

The director tried to utilize multiple ideas from Western horrors in his show which can easily be seen as poor rip-offs of the original. 

Final Verdict

If you have nothing left to watch on Netflix, then watch Betaal. The acting is good and there are a few good scares here and there but nothing memorable. If you have other movies or shows on your watchlist then Betaal is a hard pass from me.