‘Shaitaan’ is the Hindi remake of the acclaimed Gujarati movie titled ‘Vash’. ‘Shaitaan’ isn’t just another movie; it’s a rollercoaster ride into darkness that’ll have you on the edge-of-your-seat from start to finish. Janki Bodiwala steps into Bollywood with this diabolical horror-thriller, and trust me, you won’t forget her debut.
Picture this: a fun family weekend turns into a nightmare when they invite a seemingly harmless stranger Vanraj (R Madhavan), into their home. But this guy? He’s got more than just a dead phone battery. He’s got a chilling mastery of black magic, and he’s ready to use it.
As tensions rise, Vanraj (R Madhavan) sets his sights on the family’s daughter Janvi (Janki Bodiwala), turning her against her own flesh and blood. Suddenly, their once-happy home is a battleground for good versus evil.
Vanraj (R Madhavan) the mysterious stranger enters the villa, rather their life, and despite their protests, refuses to leave. As the couple try to throw him out, he casts an evil spell over their young daughter, Janvi (Janki Bodiwala), who begins to obey his commands, from guzzling tea powder to assaulting her father Kabir (Ajay Devgn), to even wielding a knife against her mother. The night gets progressively hellish as the family attempts to escape this predicament.
Kabir (Ajay Devgn) isn’t holding back either, bringing spine-tingling thrills as he faces off against the sinister stranger. And speaking of sinister, Vanraj’s (R Madhavan) performance? It’s a whole new level of creepy.
But it’s not just about scares; there’s real emotion here too. Jyotika‘s portrayal of Mother Jyoti, fighting to protect her family hits home, reminding us of all of the power of parental love.
To put it in a perspective, the trailer did compel one sit up and take notice with nothing less than an R Madhavan playing a villain with his sinister smile. But that’s about it! The narrative builds up to a crescendo but then fizzles out with no logical or reasonable climax. Instead of spending most of the screen-time in adding up to the horror, the writers could have been mindful of the exit plan. It just concludes!
This could have been a ground breaking horror thriller had it built up an equally thrilling solution to the problem.
So buckle up, because ‘Shaitaan’ isn’t just a movie – it’s a pulse-pounding journey into the darkness, with a message that’ll stick with you long after the credits roll. Remember, kids (and grown ups too), never take candy from strangers – or tea powder, for that matter!
Movie: Shaitaan
Directed by: Vikas Bahl
Cast: Jank Bodiwala, R Madhavan, Ajay Devgn, Jyotika, Anngad Raaj
Running time: 2hrs 12mins
