Shaitaan movie review: R Madhavan and Janki Bodiwala brew compelling performances to keep you engaged in Vikas Bahl’s supernatural thriller also starring Ajay Devgn and Jyotika.
Cast: Ajay Devgn, R Madhavan, Jyotika, Janki Bodiwala, Anngad Raaj
Director: Vikas Bahl
Writers: Krishnadev Yagnik (original screenplay), Aamil Keeyan Khan (adapted screenplay, dialogues)
Sensing that the unwelcome guest in his house has some ulterior motive up his sleeve, Kabir (Ajay Devgn) warns him, “I think you should leave.” Hearing this, the stranger (R Madhavan) in a chilling tone, replies, “Aap shayad samjhe nahi, mein nahi jaane wala hoon.”
Well, you don’t want him to either as he keeps you hooked to the screen with his demented act in Vikas Bahl’s latest release, Shaitaan, an adaptation of the Gujarati sleeper hit Vash.
What’s Yay: R Madhavan, Janki Bodiwala
What’s Nay: The film drags a bit at places
Story
Shaitaan begins with Vikas Bahl ticking off a couple of tropes of a typical Hindi horror film to establish a happy family. There’s a shade-sporting cool dad Kabir (Ajay Devgn), his doting wife Jyoti (Jyotika), their teenaged daughter Janvi (Janki Bodiwala), immersed in her world of cellphones, boyfriends and school trips, and a tech-savvy son Dhruv (Anngad Raaj) who addresses his parents by their first names.
Their saccharin-sweet life takes a ghastly turn when a stranger Vanraj (R Madhavan) gatecrashes their farmhouse vacation after they bump into him at a roadside dhaba. Unknown to the family, the smooth talker castes a spell on Janvi.
Later, when he lands up at their farmhouse under the pretext of charging his mobile phone and refuses to leave the house, it finally dawns upon Kabir and Jyoti that their daughter is now Vanraj’s puppet. As Vanraj sets out to roll his devilish plan, the family eventually realizes that they have invited ‘hell’ home.
Direction
After the damp squid Tiger Shroff-Kriti Sanon starrer Ganpath, Vikas Bahl tries his hand at supernatural genre with Shaitaan and pulls off a riveting film that has enough chills and gore.
While the Hindi version sticks to the basic premise of its source material, writer Aamil Keeyan Khan tweaks the screenplay keeping in mind the stars which are at play. Bahl has enough tricks up his sleeve to make sure that you remain glued to your seat even if most of the events unfold in a single location.
The initial portion where Vikas & Co. try to establish Vanraj’s happy family life comes across as manufactured and too sweet to digest. The mandatory song sequence doesn’t help either. It’s only when Madhavan’s Vanraj enters the picture that the film finally finds its feet. Most of the spooky moments in Shaitaan are effective.
On the surface, the film is a classic good vs evil tale. But if you dug deeper, you may find a commentary on patriarchy and its hold on women. Shaitaan suffers from occasional trips in the middle portion when the writing dips a bit. Further, the film loses its sheen when it enters the regular mumbo-jumbo zone.
The makers ditch the original ending of Vash for a more elaborate act to cater to a larger section of the audience. Bahl chooses a metaphorical route which impresses in parts. The lack of exploration of Vanraj’s backstory also leaves you tad disappointed.
Performances
Shaitaan is clearly a R Madhavan and Janki Bodiwala show. Talking about the devil in the film, Madhavan seems to be having a blast playing a demonic Pied Piper with a wry sense of humour. He makes your skin crawl right from the first time he appears on the screen. Is he the same man who ‘biked’ his way into hearts in Alai Payuthey and made us go ‘zara zara’ weak in our knees in Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein?
Take for instance, the scene where Madhavan’s Vanraj joins Adhiraj and his family at the eatery table at the dhaba. Amidst engaging in a conversation, the way he occasionally steals a glance at Janhvi to check if his hypnosis is working on her, showcases his brilliant craft as an actor. At times, when the writing pulls him into the theatric area, Madhavan still manages to keep things under his control.
The next impressive performer in the film turns out to be Janki Bodiwala. Be it expressing her anguish at obeying her tormentor’s deranged demands or her vulnerability as a daughter looking out for help from her loved ones, the actress never misses a mark and goes overboard.
Ajay Devgn and Jyotika are convincing as parents who are forced to become spectators of their daughter’s sufferings. The latter does a neat job in the scene where she engages in a physical brawl with Madhavan’s Vanraj. Anngad Raaj also puts up a good show.
Technical Aspects
Sudhakar Reddy Yakkanti does a fine job with his frames in building an eerie atmosphere which is required for the narrative. Sandeep Francis makes sure to keep the tension simmering with his knife-sharp editing.
Music
When it comes to the audio department, ‘Aisa Main Shaitaan’ sung by Raftaar explains the theme of the film in a catchy way. Jubin Nautiyal’s ‘Khushiyaan Bator Lo’ turns out to be a usual fare. The background score of Shaitaan gets a good score when it comes to inducing fear and tension in the ambience.
Verdict
In one of the scenes in Shaitaan, R Madhavan’s Vanraj haughtily declares, “Tumhe pata hain tum kiske samne khade ho? Main kaun hain? Main kya kar sakta hain?” Well, with this supernatural thriller, the actor proves that he knows how to cast a spell on us even when he picks up the dark side.
