For the week between May 13 and May 19, one of the trending films on Netflix is the Indian horror thriller “Shaitaan.” The movie, which premiered on May 1, currently holds the fourth spot of the global Top 10 for Non-English films on the platform, according to Tudum, with 3.2 million views during the week.
The supernatural thriller stars Ajay Devgn, Jyotika, and R Madhavan, and it follows a family who goes on a fun family trip which is interrupted by a mysterious stranger. “Shaitaan” is directed by Vikas Bahl, who is known for other titles such as “Ganapath” or “Queen.”
Before arriving on Netflix, the film was released in theaters in India, becoming one of the hits of the year. The movie is the highest-grossing Indian horror film of all time. Here’s everything you need to know about the production that is causing sensation on the platform.
‘Shaitaan,’ the horror film you can watch on Netflix
“Shaitaan” is an official remake of the super hit Gujarati film, Vash which was released in 2023. The movie explores topics such as black magic, and mental control. The film follows Kabir, who is traveling with his family to his farmhouse.
The family consists of Kabir, his wife Jyoti; Janvi, their daughter and Dhruv, their son. During the road trip, they halt at a cafe for refreshments. While looking for change, Kabir meets Vanraj, a seemingly normal man. Vanraj joins the family at their table, and offers Janvi a Laddoo, which hypnotizes her, making her do everything he says.
Director Vikas Bahl wasn’t familiar with the supernatural genre. He told Bollyspice, that it was “challenging” for him to tell a story in a new genre, but he “it’s been a great experience working on Shaitaan and creating it.”
He told the outlet that he had to study supernatural films to understand “how these films are made, how the camera works, how the action works, how scenes work, and how emotions work.” To him, it was like “going back to school” and it is something that he’d like to do in other genres.
‘Shaitaan’ received mixed reviews from critics in India, with some outlets such as “The Times of India and Bollywood Hungama giving it positive reviews, especially for the performances and atmosphere; and other outlets saying that the film doesn’t live up to the original.
