Betaal: Netflix Unveils May Release Date, Cast, First Look for SRK-Produced Zombie Horror Series

Netflix will release Betaal, its upcoming zombie horror series produced by Shah Rukh Khan's Red Chillies Entertainment on May 24. The Indian zombie series is set in a remote village during the British colonial era, and is about a two-century old evil spirit, a British Indian army officer, and his battalion of zombie redcoats. Betaal stars Viineet Kumar (Mukkabaaz), Aahana Kumra (Lipstick Under My Burkha), Suchitra Pillai (Karkash), Jitendra Joshi (Kaakan), Manjiri Pupala (Party), and Syna Anand (Mere Pyare Prime Minister), with supporting roles for Jatin Goswami (Babumoshai Bandookbaaz), Siddharth Menon (Chhappad Phaad Ke), Yashwant Wasnik (Bajirao Mastani), and Savita Bajaj (Uski Roti).

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Patrick Graham (Ghoul) is the showrunner, writer, and director on Betaal, alongside Nikhil Mahajan (Baji) as director and Suhani Kanwar (Lipstick Under My Burkha) as writer. Graham and Kanwar have previously worked together on Leila. Betaal has been executive produced by Jason Blum's Blumhouse, known for low-budget horror films such as Get Out, Paranormal Activity, The Purge, Insidious, Halloween, The Invisible Man, and SK Global Entertainment, the combined entity of Hell or High Water-maker Sidney Kimmel Entertainment and Crazy Rich Asians-maker Ivanhoe Pictures. Betaal is the second Netflix production in India for both Blumhouse Productions and Red Chillies, which have earlier given us Ghoul and Bard of Blood, respectively.

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Betaal was originally announced in July last year, as one of five new series from the likes of Khan, Anushka Sharma, Alankrita Shrivastava (Lipstick Under My Burkha), Ravi Patel (Meet the Patels), and Ashvini Yardi (Chopsticks). It will be the fifth original series from India in 2020, after the Jharkhand-based phishing drama Jamtara in January, the romantic drama Taj Mahal 1989 in February, the Imtiaz Ali-created crime drama She in March, and the Vir Das-led dark comedy Hasmukh in April.

Betaal synopsis

“A remote village becomes the theatre of a breathless battle when a two-century-old Betaal, a British Indian Army officer, and his battalion of zombie redcoats are unleashed upon the locals. With the CIPD (Counter Insurgency Police Division) pitted against the undead army, hapless villagers are trapped in a horrific, edge-of-your-seat conflict.”

Betaal release date

Betaal is out May 24 on Netflix in India and across the world.

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