Over the last decade, we have seen a wide variety of horror films produced in India, and I’m sure we each have our own favorites. Bhaskar Hazarika’s “Kothanodi” (2015) captivated me with its folklore references, and “Tumbbad’s” technical skill in depicting the horror was riveting. Coming into this circle is Vikas Bahl’s “Shaitaan,” which has sparked widespread interest with its recent release on Netflix. However, could the film deliver a staggering horror effect as those remarkable favorites?
“Shaitaan” itself is a remake of the famous Gujarati film “Vash,” which rose to fame upon its initial release. The narrative revolves around a happy and cheerful family on their way on a holiday to their farmhouse on a hill station. We have Kabir (Ajay Devgan) and Jyoti (Jyothika) as the parents of Jahnvi (Janki Bodiwala) and Dhruv (Anngad Raaj) here. While taking a short break at a rest area after a long drive, Kabir stumbles upon Vanraj (Madhavan), a stranger who offers a helping hand over a minor payment issue.
As the polite gesture unites Vanraj with the family for a conversation, we see him amiably approaching Jahnvi. Shortly after, he shows up unannounced at the door of the farmhouse. After he arrives at the house to fulfill a request for a battery recharge, the joyful family quickly discovers that terror has unexpectedly attacked them. Jahnvi, much to their horror, follows Vanraj’s every command blindly without question. The family’s journey of survival in the face of Vanraj’s terrifying demands and desires forms the crux of the narrative.
On a positive note, the film portrays the significance of family relationships. In the soothing song “Khushiyaan Bator Lo,” we can feel the warmth and love among the family members as they spend quality time together. All the way down to the conversations between Kabir and his son in the car or the inside jokes within the family, we can see that they are a close-knit family. This reminded me of James Wan’s “The Conjuring,” in which the affectionate bond between Carolyn Perron and her daughters is portrayed as an embodiment of love.
An additional noteworthy aspect that must be witnessed is actress Jyothika’s comeback to the Hindi film industry. Before her outstanding presence in South Indian cinema, Jyothika made her Hindi film debut in 1997 with “Doli Saja Ke Rakhna.” In “Shaitaan,” her performance was indeed decent, which aligned well with the character of Jyoti, who is a conscientious mother. In his role as Vanraj, Madhavan stole the show with his menacing chuckle and unexpected outbursts of wrath, which perfectly complemented the surreal tone of the film.
His powerful and magnetic body language, rather than CGI effects, conveyed the essence of a contemporary villain under the influence of dark matter. Among the most glaring instances is when Vanraj gracefully declares his dominance over the family after burning the money provided to him in exchange for Jahnvi. By this point, it would have been apparent for viewers to understand how desperately Vanraj wants to acquire Jahnvi. Janki Bodiwala deserves praise for her nuanced performance as an individual influenced by black magic, a part she played so well in “Vash” as well.
However, I encountered a number of issues while watching the film. Compared to the engaging pace of the first half, the second half starts to lose its tension bit by bit. Initially, we see how Vanraj effortlessly lures Jahnvi into his labyrinth of terror, where everything fits together seamlessly. The brief yet important scene where Jahnvi is given a spelled laddu did give a terrifying vibe with the aid of the BGM by composer Amit Trivedi. Nevertheless, expectations of the narrative becoming more adventurous were put to rest shortly after Vanraj resumed his nefarious mission. In fact, the film became tedious after a point. One example is the police’s visit to the farmhouse, which could have been trimmed to avoid an unnecessary extended interrogation scene.
The sequence after this has familiar and overused horror cinema techniques, where most of the alternative options that were available for escaping the horrors were discarded. Many confounding queries came to mind while witnessing this film. Why couldn’t Kabir think of a novel way to shield Jahnvi from Vanraj’s voice, i.e., with headphones? Why didn’t the story of the 108 girls who were abducted appear even in local headlines, and why weren’t there any eyewitnesses who may have identified the kidnapped girls or the whereabouts of the forest?
Since Vanraj would have also appeared in person to the 108 missing girls’ families, why didn’t they come forward to identify him? How could Jyoti and Kabir possibly decide to sacrifice Jahnvi to save Dhruv? Why did Vanraj choose Jahnvi as his specific target when he could have directed his dark magic at someone less difficult? How was Vanraj certain that Jahnvi and not Dhruv would eat the spelled laddu?
Overall, I believe that the original film, “Vash,” had better execution of horror elements due to its darker narrative. “Shaitaan” could have been a solid and satisfying horror film if certain questionable aspects of the film had been changed. Certain moments in the narrative were well-received, particularly the involvement of black magic and the performances of the cast. Nevertheless, the bar has been raised too high by modern horror films to the point where viewers are no longer captivated by clichéd and mediocre horror approaches. Learning more about Vanraj’s past and his interest in black magic would have been fascinating. Perhaps it is reserved for a sequel that might appear in the future? We may never know.
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