Ghoul on Netflix caught my attention after I saw my brother watching it. The name sounded  familiar, though initially I thought it meant Pret, but later remembered that it’s actually Pishaach, a blood sucking figure, often alluded to in mythology.

So finally there is a Netflix original series on a supernatural creature, made in India, in hindi!  Well I could hardly restrain myself anymore.

And here I am, finishing off the entire series aka first season of Ghoul, consisting of three episodes of one hour each. And, yes I enjoyed watching it. I sat glued to my television, till it got over.

The storyline though sounded quite similar to James Patterson’s staple novels, where corrupt policemen/military indulge in inhuman torture and then the hero bursts their secret illegal detention centre, bringing peace and justice.  

But Ghoul is actually much more than the story of power corrupting people. It’s main focus is on human fallacies, perfectly mixing the paranormal elements with the guilt conscious of so called right people.

In fact, this series is all about us versus them. Here almost everyone is a criminal, some of them parade in prisoner’s clothes, while others don the prestigious uniform. But inside they are all the same, ready to kill to uphold their beliefs.

And caught among all these people, is a cadet Nida Rahim, who believes that she is upholding the law, only to find herself slipping through an obnoxious crime trail.

Radhika Apte as Nida Rahim, is the main protagonist here, with Manav Kaul as Sunil Dakunha comfortably shouldering the Colonel’s duty. Nida is called upon to interrogate Ali Saeed, an infamous terrorist, in a secret location. However, as she digs deeper, lots of skeletons come tumbling out of the interrogation chamber. Apparently the man under question isn’t a human, but a Ghoul, who has been summoned to kill the guilty ones.

The first episode reveals the silent working of the Ghoul, who successfully brainwashes the interrogating officers and turns them against each other. Suspense builds up in the second episode, where cracks appear among the unit members, and their mutual mistrust. I liked the way, insecurities of prisoners and soldiers is played upon. Human can’t silence their conscience forever, and once regret raises it’s head, one is bound to fall. And it is exhibited well in the second episode, paving way for the nerve chilling thrill of the third and final episode of Ghoul.

The first season has just three episodes, and has left me gasping for more. I am sure, the director/ writer Patrick Graham has much more up his sleeves.

The paranormal activities, judicious use of rain as a symbol of perpetual confusion and the macabre state of secret cells, there was a lot in the picturization of the series, which acts upon mind and slowly envelops the viewer in it’s scary embrace. A well made series. Liked watching it.

Anupama Sarkar