Ayush Boruah

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2/5 Ghoul is another offering by Netflix in its attempt to grow deeper roots in the Indian market. It had created quite the hype after a trailer was dropped by Netflix's YouTube channel some months ago. Naturally, like others, I was immensely excited to see it. Being a miniseries, Ghoul was riddled with a weak script from the get go. With the requirement for it to be cut into episodes, there was little scope for characters to build up, as the number of episodes was limited to only three. As such, it fails to strike a punch especially because there are many better miniseries across genres, which have delivered more with as many episodes as this. The premise itself made me chuckle and was evidently straight out of the "liberal" playbook- a dystopian future where the country has been taken over by an authoritarian regime that targets Muslims, like the Nazis did to the Jews in their early days. Although nowhere in the series is a Hindu authoritarian regime directly referred to, it is supposed and implied cunningly throughout the series (especially at the beginning when a soldier questions the protagonist's father if he is carrying any beef in the car). Events carried out by the Nazis, leading up to the establishment of the Third Reich, and that are known to even the least knowledgeable Western audience have been made to fit into the series. Being a horror series, I expected to find at least a few scares. Boy, that was too much to ask! The least one could have had was the atmosphere, if not jump scares but that too was lacking throughout. The gore is not something you will see in Indian productions but is common in Western and J-horror flicks. Only less acquainted horror fans will find anything of import. With the exception of Kaul's and Apte's, every other character was made to fit a pre-existing caricature rather than being an original. Silent interrogator and the "good cop" interrogator, the Muslim intellectual who rues the absence of an environment to question, and the defiant second-in-command who questions her boss' (in)capability, you name it. Even Kaul's character suffers from weak writing at times, transitioning between CO and tourist of the interrogation facility. The production was average at best and dubious at worst, judging by the glaring inconsistencies. The leading officer in the opening scene wears a glove that misfits; while interrogations were monitored and recorded on computers their audio, for some reason, were recorded on tapes; an outmoded music system from the yesteryears adorns the CO's office; preposterous WWII gas masks; and let's not get to the Maruti Esteem. Perhaps, that's another point that the writers are indicating, that nationalism is regressive not just for its values but for the technology it exhumes and then sustains? The only saving grace in the production is the CGI but that is nothing that audiences haven't seen before. Apte's acting is commendable as always and lives up to the standard she has set for herself. Manav Kaul has begun to make a mark in the industry and here too he delivers, with a promise to outdo himself in future roles. Mahesh Balraj as the Ghoul has less to speak but more to show and as such is believable. The rest of the actors show some promise but wither away in the lack of a strong script to showcase their talent. The background score is present but minimal. The sound design is up to the mark considering the production houses behind the show. Since it is a conspicuous attempt at passing off a political commentary in the garb of a weak horror story, it is burdened by the sheer weight of the former and hence, fails to live up to its promise. Nevertheless, it will attract a good amount of audience in India through hype alone. Acquainted fans of the genre, on the other hand, can give this one a pass.