Love has the potential to penetrate and impregnate the void of trepidation – a strong, insurmountable barrier created through witchcraft for selfish purposes by a practitioner. Black Magic needs no introduction, for despite being an unlawful, forbidden but pervasive practice, its sole purpose is to bring misfortune to the lives of innocent victims in the form of illness (physical or mental) and poverty. It is done by evoking spirits through malicious, ritualistic worship designed to generate a desired result for the practitioner by destroying the innocents, leading to probable death due to no timely intervention.
The movie “Shaitaan” meticulously encapsulates the psyche of the antagonist, who is a satanic worshipper with a defined purpose: to control and unleash dominance on all the sentient beings by captivating their minds and stripping them of their right to execute free will, rendering them subservient to his demands. What method does he deploy to achieve this goal? By bewitching 100+ girls through sorcery, enslaving and beguiling their minds to act according to his whims and fancies.
I liked the narrative, especially the first half where characters are established and supplemented with a smooth, well-nuanced structured screenplay, making it an immersive experience for the viewers. The story steadily unfolds to espouse a juxtaposition of events, especially with the unwarranted presence of a stranger leading to a series of cataclysmic situations, creating havoc and utter chaos in the life of Kabeer and his family.
The frequency and rhythm with which the sequences are panned out are amazing and projected seamlessly. In my opinion, the second half could have been substantiated differently, for I found the ending to be very predictive where the story is concerned. When you have a star cast of stalwarts to boast of, the makers could have explored and experimented a little to create a spectacular second half rather than playing it safe, making it a must-watch movie.
The core strength of the movie Shaitaan lies in its talent, with impeccable performances of the prominent actors who make a simple story colossal. It’s always a delight to see Ajay Devgn and Jyotika perform on screen, for they possess an inherent ability to bring their characters to life in each scene effortlessly. Janki Bodiwala shines on screen with her brilliant performance, and even Anngad Raaj was amazing.
Evil has many shades, and it comes with beauty (not in all cases), intelligence, and an attractive countenance, imbued with a sinister trait of demonic, wicked intent toward its target or object. With darkness being its shadow, it’s difficult to avoid, for it lures its subject by enticing it through sin and power. No matter how powerful the ignoble and vile evil may be, in the end, it meets its fate.
Madhavan, as Vanraaj Kashyap, dominates the screen with his unperturbed expression and diabolic nature with sublime beauty. This performance is the icing on the cake, for it elevates this movie to great heights. His act is undoubtedly his finest on screen. There is an instant connection with this maleficent despicable character, who believes in tormenting his subjects with panache. What a performer! I’m a fan! This movie belongs to Madhavan, and I enjoyed watching him spew venom and create pandemonium on screen!
Kudos to Vikas Behl for helming a fantastic project, bringing it to life, and to the entire team for the success of this movie.