Sanchita
Shaitaan Movie Review, Read Full –
Rating: 3.5/5
Director: Vikas Bahl
Cast: Janki Bodiwala, R Madhavan, Ajay Devgn, Jyothika
Runtime: 2h 20m
Storyline:
Kabir (Ajay Devgn) and his family are off to vacation in their farmhouse. When the group stops for a break at a dhaba, they run into a charismatic stranger (R Madhavan).
He later shows up at their farmhouse on the pretext of charging his dying phone. Kabir’s wife (Jyothika) is highly suspicious of the stranger and asks her husband to quickly get rid of him. But alas it’s too late, he has already hypnotised their daughter Janhvi (Janki) with black magic and turned her into a sinister weapon against her own family.
The family watch helplessly in horror as Janhvi slaps herself and viciously attacks everyone on the stranger’s orders. Will Kabir be able to save his daughter from this monster’s clutches before she is past the point of redemption?
Watch Shaitaan to find out –
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Shaitaan Movie Review:
For the unversed, Shaitaan is the Hindi remake of the 2023 Gujarati horror film Vash. The Vikas Bahl directorial manages to be an immersive horror film for the most part.
The 1st half is tightly wound and almost has a claustrophobic feel as the sinister intruder slowly becomes everyone’s worst nightmare. However, the demonstration of ‘your daughter is completely in my control’ bit is dragged on for too long. After a point, you start wishing for the plot to move along.
R Madhavan is absolutely menacing and unhinged as the evil puppeteer pulling Janki’s strings. There are some moments, particularly in the ending sequence where he exaggerates it a bit, but he’s otherwise quite chilling in this role. And he’s having an absolute blast as the Shaitaan.
Ajay Devgn is reliable as ever as the distraught dad who’d do anything to save his daughter. He plays the part with restraint, at times too much restraint, that it borders on almost being passive in the face of danger. Though Ajay is shown to lead the fight against the Shaitaan, it is Jyothika’s emotional and physical confrontation scene that actually accelerates the action in the film.
Janki Bodiwala gives a top-notch performance as the hypnotised Janhvi – switching between a helpless teen girl and a terrifying weapon flawlessly. She carries the role with utter conviction. Her dynamic with R Madhavan is gripping and is what makes this film work.
Though it pays off, the climax seems a little ludicrous and overtly theatrical for an otherwise solid horror film. Ajay Devgn and Jyothika have given decent performances but R Madhavan and Janki Bodiwala overshadow them by far.
Hit Or Miss:
Definitely worth watching on the big screen for the goosebumpy ride. R Madhavan and Janki Bodiwala have absolutely killed it!
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