A family on a staycation is in for a hellish night of horrors in “Shaitaan” as an ominous stranger named Vanraj—whom they befriend at a rest stop—holds them captive at their farmhouse. On his menu is Janhvi, the free-spirited teenage daughter whom he transforms into a human puppet. As Vanraj pulls the strings and a pall of gloom and negativity descends upon the household, Janhvi’s concerned parents Kabir and Jyoti must gather their wits and pull all the stops to put an end to this reign of terror.
A Bollywood remake of the Gujarati movie “Vash” (2023), “Shaitaan” proves to be refreshing in its own right, improving in some aspects while simultaneously retaining some flaws from the original. It also benefits from a sprinkling of visual inspirations. It directly and indirectly pays obvious homages to “The Shining” or other movies set in a single location. Another inspiration is doubtless the home invasion thriller/psychological thriller “Kaun,” via a similar anxiety-inducing scene in its third act that’s set atop a terrace on a rainy night. Even Vanraj’s (R Madhavan) elaborate eye-makeup and face glitter as he assumes his true colours harkens back to the get-up of Digambaran, the antagonist from the Malayalam supernatural fantasy “Anandabhadram” (2005). This film similarly explored the dark arts within an Indian setting.
A Reimagining of the Gujarati Film ‘Vash’
While “Shaitaan” features its fair share of spooks, it also leaves space for social commentary. The film features subtle undertones that showcase society’s unhealthy expectations or patriarchal projections; these include expectations upon young women to behave demure and silent, particularly if they’re as outspoken or independent like the young Jahnvi (Janki Bodiwala). A grimacing Vanraj certainly doesn’t shy away from expressing his discontentment over his victim’s free will.
“Shaitaan” isn’t sans negatives though. Moments of this include some glaring and often-laughable moments (an aspect that isn’t entirely far off from the original). But since it’s a less grounded compared to its Gujarati counterpart, “Vash,” the blend of magical realism into its narrative—and particularly in its satisfying final act—lends a sense of unease yet believability to the movie, thus allowing one to overlook its flawed logic. However, the remake does sign off on a contrived, overly Bollywood-esque note, which might evoke mixed feelings if one prefers the far more disturbing ending in the original.
After playing the hapless victim of paranormal forces in the cult classic “13 B,” this time around the versatile R. Madhavan chews the scenery in a polar opposite role as a revolting, predatory perpetrator with ulterior motives. He hides behind his coquettish façade and who weaponizes everything from smiles to tea leaves. As Vanraj, he commands the screen and instils sheer fear with his menacing smirks and a baritone voice that is as malevolent as it is alluring.
Engaging and Chilling
The theme song that accompanies this frightful character is also one that ends up stuck in one’s head on loop if one isn’t too careful! While Ajay Devgn (also credited as a producer) turns in a sincere performance as Kabir, co-star Jyothika as Jyoti outshines Devgn in the intense emotional sequences. She thoroughly impresses with her strong-willed and bad-ass ‘mama bear’ demeanour—especially when things keep going south until she is compelled to throw fists at the villain of the piece. Janki Bodiwala who reprises her role from the original and shows some serious acting chops as the tortured Jahnki. She subtly depicts this character’s seemingly endless cycle of mental turmoil and duress as Vanraj manipulates her into doing his biddings. Due to the movie’s well-established character dynamics and convincing performances, one also can’t help but empathize with this family’s plight in their battle against literal evil.
Ultimately, “Shaitaan” may be far from perfect. However, it is nonetheless a very engaging and chilling watch, while succeeding at breaking the curse of unfulfilling or altogether uncreative remakes too.
“Shaitaan” is available to watch on Netflix India and overseas.
