Shaitaan movie review: R Madhavan makes the mean monster shine opposite Ajay Devgn in this horror show

Director: Vikas Bahl

Cast: Ajay Devgn, R Madhavan, Jyothika, Janaki Bodiwala

Run-time: 132 minutes

Storyline: Held inside their farmhouse, a couple battles to free their daughter from the spell of a mysterious stranger

Shaitaan Movie: Story

Kabir and his family go on a small getaway at their farmhouse. A stranger named Vanraj, whom they met at a dhaba, knocks on their door, requesting to charge his phone. As the trailer shows, Vanraj possesses Kabir and Jyoti’s daughter, Janvi. She does everything he asks her to, including harming her parents. So what does Vanraj want, and why is he doing all this? Well, we only get some of the answers.

Shaitaan Movie: Script Analysis

Ajay Devgn’s Shaitaan is a remake of the Gujarati movie Vash (2023). So, the makers already had a story in hand, and all they had to do was alter it according to the taste of the Hindi movie audience. If one ignores the first 20 minutes spent too much on the family drama, the first half is decent. The entire sequence gave me Drishyam vibes. But once Vanraj enters the scenes, the narrative starts to get intense.

The build-up is intriguing as Vanraj’s behavior leaves Kabir and his family confounded. Similarly, their daughter Janvi behaves strangely, listening only to him and his instructions to carry out destructive tasks. You are hooked on Vanraj’s intentions and wonder how petrifying the story would get further. Certain scenes are impressive and leave you on the edge of your seat, one being on a swing and one with the cops. The interval block also immerses you in what is happening and how the story will shape further.

Unfortunately, the screenplay crumbles poorly in the second half and worsens towards the climax. A scene where R Madhavan’s Vanraj stands in front of a fire and gives an entire speech on how he’s not a human and superior to all doesn’t bring in the desirable impact. The scene comes immediately when the intermission ends and should’ve left one startled. But the way it’s shot and Madhavan overdoing a few lines fail to pack in the punch. But that’s just the beginning of how the second hour turns into shambles.

The narrative gets badly stuck, and we are impatient to get answers. We know what the Shaitaan wants, but we never know why. The last 30 minutes are poorly executed, and it seems so easy just to have a favorable ending for Kabir and his family. Writer Aamir Keeyan Khan, who adapted Krishnadev Yagnik’s original story for the Ajay Devgn starrer, refuses to take risks. Thus, the lack of terror in this horror movie is felt intensely. The climax is the worst part of the movie, where Ajay and Madhavan’s characters seem awkward and confused. As a viewer, even you are puzzled about the absurdity that’s going on in the story. It’s highly disappointing, considering the makers already had a story in hand and just had to recreate it!

Shaitaan Movie: Star Performance

R Madhavan creeps you out several times as Vanraj as he brings mystery, spookiness to his character, and an unsettling feeling to the story. Sometimes, the actor hams. Ajay Devgn’s Kabir is an extension of what we saw in Drisyham movies. The only aspect missing here is the clever side of Vijay Salgaonkar. Ajay plays his part well, but the story doesn’t give him any moment to shine. Janki Bodiwala, as Janvi, is another stand-out performer; she balances the act of being possessed and terrified quite well. Jyotika also does a decent job but lacks depth, like Ajay’s character.

Shaitaan Movie: Direction, Music

Director Vikas Bahl has a good eye for making the locations look eerie. The set-up for a story like this was apt – a farmhouse away from the city amidst the dense forest, monsoon season, thunder, and non-stop rain. In certain scenes, he makes Vanraj look creepy and leaves you worried for Janvi. But overall, he fails to give the story the treatment it deserves. The Queen director leaves you disappointed with how badly he shot the climax with a tease in the end. The entire Shaitaan concept is turned into dust when there are hardly any frightening elements.

At one point, I assumed that Vanraj was not a devil in disguise but a man who was into sex trafficking of young girls. I thought the word ‘shaitaan’ describes people who carry out such heinous criminal activities. But even that’s not the case. The partly exciting first half gets ruined by an unpleasant second half.

Amit Trivedi composed the film’s music. I loved the film’s background score and even the title track. However, the good music does nothing to elevate the intensity of the mediocre story.

Shaitaan Movie: Conclusion

Overall, Shaitaan had all the potential of being an excellent supernatural thriller. The first half is so-so, but it’s the second half where the story becomes shoddy and a confusing mess. The climax leaves you with a bitter aftertaste, and you feel cheated as you don’t get the desired and significant answers.