‘Betaal’ is the latest offering from the Red Chilies Entertainment of the Badshah of Bollywood -SRK. After watching the first episode of the web series, I must say I am thrilled. It has explored one genre Bollywood has so far been shy of- horror. Mostly the horror movies made in India induce more laughter than chills with a few exceptions. But here the creators have been successful in touching the right cords.

The 1st episode starts in an unknown village inhabited by the tribals who offer animal sacrifices to appease their deity who protects their land. Gradually the story shifts to the present date and a money shark is shown building a crew through the tunnel in the mountainous forests of the land. As the tribal people protest, the Government brings in the armed forces. Meanwhile, the nationalists media are slamming the act of the tribals as a conspiracy of the Naxals and hail the army who are engaged in clearing the tunnel for the construction of a road. And then what happens is the story of the first episode.

The visuals are stunning, the horror moments are credible and the action sequences are so far brilliant. However, the dialogues are at times forced, cliched and it looks like the creators had an agenda to vilify the present-day governance in India. The expressions of the lead actors so far look plastic. However, it must not be denied that the story is engaging and keeps you hooked throughout. Due to brilliant cinematography, the horror sequences are slick and chilling.

We must thank SRK for offering an unexplored genre in this web-series. I hope the momentum is kept alive throughout the show. The full review will be available tonight. Keep reading.

My rating – 8 out of 10 (Only for the first episode, remember)

However, my rating entirely changed after I completed the series. Read the full review in the next article.

Available on Netflix