Ghoul (miniseries)

Lore & Background

The miniseries was conceived from a dream Patrick Graham had. Originally meant to be the first of three films in a deal between three production houses, Netflix acquired the production in February 2018 after Graham felt that a longer format would be better and had it turned into a miniseries. Graham said that he wanted to take a 'monster from mythology that hasn't been seen before' as he felt 'Zombies, vampires and werewolves have been done to death.' While reading on Arabic folklore, he came across the ghoul, which he felt 'fit perfectly because of its characteristics.' He researched the origins of ghoul in Arabic folklore and drew on Jinn mythology and supernatural powers such as being able to see people's guilt and using that against them.

Reader's Guide

Ghoul was released to positive reviews from critics, with praise for the performances and storyline. The review aggregated website Rotten Tomatoes reported that 86% of critics have given the series a positive review based on 14 reviews, with an average rating of 6.14/10. The site's critics consensus reads: 'Short, spooky, and surprisingly poignant, Ghoul's concentrated brand of horror is familiar, but effective.' Critics noted the series tackles social change vis a vis religion in an effective and dramatic way, and serves as a warning bell of the dangerous consequences of state sponsored intolerance. The series was noted for its atmospheric visuals and strong performances, though some critics felt it was let down by reliance on cliched genre writing and narrative convenience.

Did You Know?

• The series was originally conceived as a film but was turned into a three-episode miniseries after Netflix came on board.
• Patrick Graham had a dream about being in an Abu Ghraib-like torture centre in Iraq, which inspired the series.
• The series was shot in a 'leaky, damp, and horrible smelling place with no sunlight' over a month, filming 14 hours a day.
• Netflix advertised the series by painting a ghoul symbol over already existing posters of Sacred Games in India.

Origins & Development

Patrick Graham, a Mumbai-based British filmmaker, conceived Ghoul from a vivid dream about an inmate who terrifies everyone in a prison. He developed this into a script, drawing on CIA documents about post-9/11 torture techniques and reports from military centres in Kashmir. He also had a dream about an Abu Ghraib-like facility in Iraq, which crystallized his core question: what if the prisoner was scarier than the facility itself? In September 2014, Blumhouse Productions, Phantom Films, and Ivanhoe Pictures announced a partnership for local-language Indian horror films, with Ghoul slated as the first of three. Graham initially planned it as a feature, but after feeling a longer format would better serve the story, Netflix acquired the project in February 2018, transforming it into a three-episode miniseries. Manav Kaul called the format shift a blessing in disguise, noting it allowed the team to add richer backstory. The dialogue was penned by Kartik Krishnan, and the series became India's second Netflix original after Sacred Games.

Narrative & Themes

Set in a dystopian future India under a fascist regime, Ghoul centers on Nida Rahim, a newly recruited military officer whose fierce loyalty to the authoritarian system drives her to any extreme to cleanse society. She is assigned to a covert detention centre to interrogate Ali Saeed, the most feared terrorist recently captured. What begins as a routine interrogation spirals when Saeed turns the tables, exposing the interrogators' deepest shame. Rahim ultimately concludes he is not of this world, possessed by a supernatural entity. Graham deliberately chose the ghoul from Arabic folklore over overused monsters like vampires or zombies, finding its characteristics a perfect fit. He drew on Jinn mythology—the idea of summoning an entity that may or may not serve you—and the power to perceive others' guilt and weaponize it. The result is an oppressive, claustrophobic narrative where the true horror emerges from psychological unraveling rather than spectacle.

Production & Craft

Principal photography commenced in June 2016, with the cast and crew working grueling 14-hour days for over a month. Radhika Apte described the filming location, a repurposed section of the Tulip Star Hotel in Mumbai, as a leaky, damp, and horrible smelling place with no sunlight. Graham, not fluent in Hindi, wrote the script in English and had it translated, relying on two assistants at the monitors to ensure dialogue intonation sounded natural for the predominantly Hindi-speaking crew. He deliberately minimized jump scares, believing they diffuse tension and should be used sparingly. Instead, the team invested heavily in preparation: the cast underwent one-on-one sessions and a 15-day rehearsal period. Manav Kaul completed extensive military training to authentically portray Colonel Sunil Dacunha's bearing, speech, and firearm handling. Jay Oza served as director of photography and Nitin Baid as editor, shaping the series' unsettling visual and rhythmic texture.

Cast & Performances

Radhika Apte anchored the series as Nida Rahim, drawn to the character's rigid belief system and the strength of her faith, which she noted was quite the opposite of her own worldview. She was particularly captivated by Rahim's internal investigation into her own life as the supernatural events unravel her certainty. Manav Kaul brought physical authenticity to Colonel Sunil Dacunha, a patriotic officer with a strained family relationship, after undergoing rigorous military training to replicate proper posture, gait, and weapon handling. Mahesh Balraj embodied Ali Saeed, the enigmatic prisoner whose presence destabilizes everyone around him. Supporting performances included S. M. Zaheer as Nida's father Shahnawaz Rahim, Ratnabali Bhattacharjee as the prejudiced Major Laxmi Das, and Robin Das as a Muslim cleric. Critics praised the ensemble's collective intensity and the layered storytelling, with the performances and narrative structure receiving particular acclaim upon the series' 24 August 2018 release.

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