'Shaitaan' On Netflix Movie Review: R Madhavan-Janki Bodiwala Stand Out In A Flick That Is Torn Between Horror And Social Commentary

‘Shaitaan’: Story

Kabir Rishi (played by Ajay Devgn) and his family are enjoying a quiet retreat at their farmhouse. He is joined by his wife Jyoti (played by Jyothika) and his kids Janhvi and Dhruv (played by Janki Bodiwala and Anngad Raaj). They meet a stranger named Vanraj at a local dhaba (played by R Madhavan). After this meeting, Vanraj shows up at their doorstep seeking to charge his phone. He offers Janhvi a laddoo and gets her under his control. Janhvi starts following Vanraj's commands, even to the point of harming her parents and setting the house on fire. The story revolves around how Janhvi even harms her younger brother. This horror flick navigates how Kabir and Jyoti get their daughter free from the shackles of Vanraj when everything seems to go against their plans. The parents use every possible force to get Janhvi free from the supernatural force.

‘Shaitaan’: Performances

The show stealer in ‘Shaitaan’ is R Madhavan. As the sinister Vanraj, he will make sure that a constant chill will run down your spine whenever he is on the screen. His character is well-written and that gives him an upper hand to explore with his role. Madhavan has done that with excellence. He will creep you out. His screen presence and dialogue delivery are something that remains with you even after the credits have rolled.

Ajay Devgn as Kabir delivers an average performance. In some scenes, it feels like he still is in the shoes of his previous characters where he has played the role of a father. His performance is evocative, but it lacks substance. The same is the case with Jyothika who plays Jyoti. She is a reliable performer and sticks to what has been asked of her from the script. I had high hopes from her, but she simply fell short of the mark.

On the other hand, there is one actor who surprised me - Janki Bodiwala. In her first Bollywood film, she nailed the role with ease. She also happened to play the same role in the Gujarati version of the film earlier so that might have made it easier for her. But you simply cannot deny how she grabs your attention and makes you feel for her. She balances being scared and being scary with ease and is a delight to watch on the screen.

‘Shaitaan’: Script, Direction & Technical Aspects

‘Shaitaan’ is based on the Gujarati film, ‘Vash.’ The makers had the material right before them, they simply had to fine-tune it to make sure it appealed to the audience here. When it comes to the script, the film starts with great potential, reaches its peak, and simply falters. The climax is what ruined what could have been an eerie movie produced by Bollywood in long. The climax had so many unnecessary elements that I simply could not figure out if it was to be taken metaphorically or literally. The story had immense potential and what failed it was the direction. After a while, the scary elements start to dwindle, but it is only after the interval it might start to look like a yawn fest for people who truly love horror movies.

The script has its moments of glory and that’s just about it. Madhavan’s monologue starts on a great note, but it fails to impact you. Similarly, Devgn’s dialogues at the climax should make you feel something, but it fails to evoke any emotion at all. You can see how these two actors have put in their all in the characters that they are playing but the script fails them.

The music by Amit Trivedi is average at best. None of the songs stuck with me by the end of the film. What makes this horror flick somewhat horror-like is the cinematography. The visuals are stunning as well as creepy. Frankly, it was only the visuals that made me believe that I was watching a horror film. The set design and the colour grading establish the tone and that adds to the visual appeal.

‘Shaitaan’: Cast & Crew

Director: Vikas Bahl

Writer: Aamil Keeyan Khan

Cast: Ajay Devgn, R Madhavan, Jyothika, Janki Bodiwala, Anngad Raaj

Available On: Netflix

Duration: 2 hours 12 minutes

Languages: Hindi

‘Shaitaan’: Can Kids Watch It?

No. 

Outlook’s Verdict

Vikas Bahl has always explored genres and has given us films like ‘Chillar Party’, ‘Queen’, and ‘Super 30’ to name a few. When I saw Bahl had directed ‘Shaitaan’, I was excited because I believed he would nail this one as well. But I was up for disappointment. The makers had the material before them. They had a story with great potential, but it went nowhere. The film started on a good note, but it just felt confused in the climax. It felt like Bahl wanted to toy between horror and social commentary. But this hodgepodge simply brought down the story. The movie has its moments, but it could only take it so far. I am going with 2 stars.