Shaitaan Movie Review: Outstanding Performances, But Unfinished Film

Audiences were very excited when two of the industry’s most renowned performers, Ajay Devgn and R Madhavan, originally announced their partnership. Despite the trailer’s rapid social media success, the movie seems to be a letdown. An version of the well-liked Gujarati film Vash is called Shaitaan in Hindi. The film, directed by Vikas Bahl, is about a family whose peace is disturbed when an unwanted visitor stays longer at their house.

The film takes audiences on an exciting trip as it follows Ajay Devgn’s character Kabir and his family on a weekend vacation that swiftly turns into a nightmare as they accept a mysterious visitor named Vanraj, also known as R Madhavan, into their house. He tells them he’ll be leaving in fifteen minutes, but he stays longer than they would have liked. Their daughter suddenly sides with the guest, suggesting she is under his hypnotic spell, when Kabir tries to kick him out. The daughter’s concerning behaviors, such as self-harm and aggressive behavior toward her father and sibling, cause the situation to worsen.

In this gripping story that explores the shadowy world of Black Magic, the family eventually finds themselves facing their worst fears.

Even if it’s simple to follow Vanraj’s motivations and predict the story’s increasing level of horror, the movie eventually becomes tedious and long. There are a number of scenes that will have you on the edge of your seat, like the suspenseful scene where Janki eats the oily parantha quickly, the scene where she might light the gas with a matchbox, the scene where she plays on a swing with her younger brother, the scene with the police, the appropriate choice of “Aaj Ki Raat Hona Hai Kya,” the line “There are certain things that your Science does not understand,” the opening credits, and the background score, which has important meaning if one listens to the lyrics.

Unfortunately, the script is badly written and doesn’t have the expected effect. This incident is only the beginning of the turmoil that ensues in the second hour. The plot becomes uninteresting. We understand the Shaitaan’s wants, but its reasons are still unknown.

The careful approach used by writer Aamir Keeyan Khan in translating Krishnadev Yagnik’s original novel for the Ajay Devgn blockbuster leaves this horror movie noticeably lacking in dread. The second half is somewhat tolerable because of the climax. It’s rather disappointing, especially given that the producers simply had to adapt an already-written script.

It’s entertaining to see an actor like Madhavan embrace the role of playing a sordid and insane character; he does a great job overall, although he comes across as eerie at times. As a wife and protective mother, Jyothika is ideal—you can’t meddle with her kids. Throughout, Ajay Devgn is astute and protective, yet he lacks bravery. He desires the triumph of mankind.

Fantastic! Janki plays one of the most difficult parts with amazing expertise, perfectly replicating her performance from the original Gujarati movie. She moves deftly between being afraid and possessed. Angaad Raaj provides strong backing via his performances.

Shaitaan is a one-time viewing with a fantastic cast and conclusion, but if you’ve watched Gujarati films before, you should skip it.

Produced by Devgn, Jyoti Deshpande, Kumar Mangat Pathak, and Abhishek Pathak, the film is presented by Jio Studios, Ajay Devgn Ffilms, and Panorama Studios International. Devi Sri Prasad is the film’s composer.