# Shaitaan (2024 film)

Shaitaan (transl. Devil) is a 2024 Indian Hindi-language supernatural horror film directed by Vikas Bahl and produced by Devgn Films, Jio Studios, and Panorama Studios. It stars Ajay Devgn, R. Madhavan, Jyothika, Janki Bodiwala, and Anngad Raaj.
An adaptation of the 2023 Gujarati film Vash which also starred Bodiwala, Shaitaan revolves around a family which finds trouble when their daughter falls under the spell of black magic cast by a stranger, and they set out to stop the possession and uncover the stranger's motives. The film was officially announced in May 2023, and entirely shot within the next three months in Dehradun and London. This is Jyothika's comeback to Bollywood since her debut film Doli Saja Ke Rakhna (1998).
Shaitaan was theatrically released on 8 March 2024, coinciding with Maha Shivaratri, to positive reviews from critics, with particular praise going towards the performances of Devgn, Madhavan and Bodiwala. Grossing ₹211.06 crore worldwide on an estimated budget of ₹60–65 crore, the film ranks as the fifth highest-grossing Hindi film of 2024 and the second highest-grossing Indian horror film of all time. A sequel is in the scripting stage.

## Plot

Kabir Rishi, a chartered accountant, lives in Dehradun, Uttarakhand, with his wife Jyoti and their two children, Janhvi and Dhruv. Seeking a break from their routine, the family decides to spend some time at their farmhouse in a remote hill station. During their journey, they encounter a mysterious man named Vanraj Kashyap, who initially appears friendly but unsettling. He offers Janhvi a laddu in exchange for her paratha. Although seemingly harmless, this small act triggers an eerie sense of unease in Janhvi. Later, as the family drives to their farmhouse, Vanraj hands her a packet of biscuits, instructing her to eat them once she arrives.
Once at the farmhouse, the family begins to unwind. Jyoti, after accidentally wetting her phone, places it in a container of rice to dry and heads to the terrace. There, she spots Vanraj standing outside their door. Janhvi, trusting him, lets him inside when he claims his phone battery has died. However, his presence makes the family increasingly uncomfortable, and Jyoti urges Kabir to send him away. Vanraj, however, starts engaging Janhvi in personal conversations about her college life and relationships. As the family continues their evening, Vanraj subtly manipulates Janhvi into threatening her younger brother, Dhruv, while playing on a swing. Under his influence, Janhvi swings Dhruv dangerously high, scaring him as he cries out for help.
Alarmed by her behavior, Kabir and Jyoti intervene. Kabir demands Vanraj leave, but Vanraj refuses. Before Kabir can physically throw him out, Janhvi shockingly stops him—acting under Vanraj’s command. It is then that Vanraj reveals his true power: he has hypnotized Janhvi using black magic, making her obey every instruction he gives. To prove his control, he orders her to repeatedly stand and sit, which she does robotically. As his influence grows, Vanraj commands Janhvi to destroy all the phones in the house, cutting off communication with the outside world. He further humiliates and torments her, making her eat dry tea leaves and even forcing her to slap her father.
The situation escalates when Vanraj demands that Kabir and Jyoti give Janhvi to him, stating he needs their permission to take full control of her. When they refuse, he retaliates by ordering Janhvi to injure Dhruv. In a horrifying moment, she smashes her younger brother’s head, leaving him severely wounded.
Desperate, Jyoti secretly dials the police helpline using the phone she had placed in the rice container earlier. When the police arrive, Vanraj immediately places Janhvi in a life-threatening situation—he orders her to sit atop an open gas cylinder with a matchstick in hand, ready to ignite it. He warns Kabir and Jyoti that if they reveal anything to the police, Janhvi will set herself on fire. Left with no option, the family acts normal, and the police, seeing nothing suspicious, leave.
Kabir, realizing negotiations may be their only chance, offers Vanraj money to spare them. Vanraj pretends to accept but then burns the money, revealing that he has no interest in material possessions. He declares himself a superior being—one who intends to strip humanity of its free will. To demonstrate his power, he forces Janhvi to slap herself repeatedly and dance for hours without rest. He then makes her fetch a knife and orders her to guard him while he sleeps, prepared to attack anyone who approaches. When Kabir attempts to retrieve Vanraj’s phone to call for help, Janhvi, in a moment of distress, urinates on herself to stop him—choosing humiliation over harming her father. Furious at her resistance, Vanraj orders her to change clothes in front of everyone.
This proves to be the breaking point for Jyoti, who finally grabs the knife from Janhvi and attacks Vanraj. In the ensuing chaos, Kabir ties Janhvi to the staircase and fights Vanraj. But before they can overpower him, Vanraj gives Janhvi one final command—to laugh herself to death. Realizing that Janhvi will continue obeying his last order even if he dies, Kabir is forced to let him go. Before leaving, Vanraj commands Janhvi to kill her brother. She locks Kabir and Jyoti inside a storeroom and begins searching for Dhruv. By the time her parents break free, Janhvi has already found Dhruv on the terrace. In a horrifying moment, she pushes him off the edge. Miraculously, he survives, though gravely injured.
Fearing for their children's lives, Kabir and Jyoti finally concede and give Vanraj permission to take Janhvi with him. With a sinister smile, Vanraj leads Janhvi away, disappearing into the night.
However, Kabir is far from giving up. While Jyoti rushes Dhruv to the hospital, Kabir secretly follows Vanraj, having planted a tracker in his phone. He tracks him to a secluded lair, where he discovers that Janhvi is just one of 108 girls under Vanraj’s hypnosis, all waiting to be sacrificed in a dark ritual. Vanraj, believing that free will is a flaw, intends to burn the girls in a fire, completing a ritual that will grant him absolute control over anyone he desires.
As Vanraj begins throwing black dolls into the fire—each one drawing the girls closer—Kabir intervenes. He fights Vanraj but is nearly overpowered. Just as Vanraj is about to complete the ritual, Kabir strikes him with a burning log and, in a decisive moment, cuts off his tongue. Without his voice, Vanraj loses his ability to control the girls. However, the hypnotized girls still pose a threat. Thinking quickly, Kabir plays a doctored recording of Vanraj’s voice—spliced together from security footage at the farmhouse—where Vanraj seemingly commands the girls to return to normal. Hearing this, the girls snap out of their trance, breaking free from his control.
The police arrive, rescuing the girls, while Kabir’s family reunites. However, Vanraj himself vanishes without a trace.
A year later, it is revealed that Kabir has secretly captured Vanraj and imprisoned him in an isolated underground chamber. Unable to speak or control anyone, Vanraj is now powerless. Kabir mocks him, declaring that true power does not come from domination, but from the love of a parent who will do anything to protect their child. With a chilling final remark, Kabir tells Vanraj that they will meet again tomorrow, leaving him to suffer in silence.

## Cast

* Ajay Devgn as Kabir Rishi
* R. Madhavan as Vanraj Kashyap
* Jyothika as Jyoti Rishi
* Janki Bodiwala as Jahnvi Rishi,
* Anngad Raaj as Dhruv Rishi

## Production
### Development

Hindi remake of the Gujarati horror film Vash (2023) was announced in May 2023 with Ajay Devgn in the lead role, to be directed by Vikas Bahl, while the title Shaitaan was confirmed in January 2024. R. Madhavan was cast as the antagonist and Jyothika as Devgn's wife, both having previously starred in Dumm Dumm Dumm (2001), Priyamaana Thozhi (2003), and Magalir Mattum (2017), along with Jyothika's return to Hindi films after 25 years. Janki Bodiwala and Anngad Raaj were signed to play the children; the former reprises her role from Vash. It marks Bodiwala's debut in Hindi cinema.

### Filming

The film was shot in London, Mumbai and Mussoorie with filming taking place from June 2023 to September 2023.

## Soundtrack

The music of the film is composed by Amit Trivedi and lyrics are written by Kumaar. The first single titled "Khushiyaan Bator Lo" was released on 15 February 2024. The second single titled "Aisa Main Shaitaan" was released on 29 February 2024. The third single "Shaitaan Theme" was released on 8 March 2024 during release. The fourth single "Papa Tu Hai Naa" was released on 2 April 2024 after release.
All lyrics are written by Kumaar; all music is composed by Amit Trivedi

## Release
### Theatrical

Shaitaan was theatrically released on 8 March 2024, coinciding with Maha Shivaratri.

### Home media

The film premiered on Netflix on 1 May 2024.

## Reception
### Box office

Shaitaan grossed ₹177.96 crore (US$20 million) in India and a further ₹33.1 crore (US$3.8 million) in overseas markets, for a worldwide total of ₹211.06 crore (US$24 million).

### Critical response

Shaitaan received positive reviews from critics, with particular praise going towards the performances of Devgn, Madhavan and Bodiwala. On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 40% of 15 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 5.3/10.
Bollywood Hungama gave 4/5 stars and wrote "Shaitaan is a nail-biting thriller laced with superlative performances and clapworthy climax that keeps you engaged". Dhaval Roy of The Times of India gave the film 3.5/5 and wrote "Even though Shaitaan’s narrative stumbles at times, the masterful use of atmosphere and top-notch acting elevate it into an unsettling experience worth having".
Sana Farzeen of India Today gave the film 2.5/5 and wrote "Shaitaan falls short, probably cursed by a weak script and the pressure of helming a remake". Lachmi Deb Roy of Firstpost rated 2.5 out of 5 and opined "Shaitaan could have been a good supernatural thriller, which we haven’t seen much in Hindi cinema of late, but it turned out to be a complete mess in the process of depicting the war of good vs evil. It’s a poorly made remake and the story is just not believable. Making the hero win at the end makes the film just too predictable". Saibal Chatterjee of NDTV gave the film 1.5/5 and wrote "Jyothika is the only one in the cast who is able to rise a bit above the sheer absurdity of the proceedings. The two male characters and the actors playing them don't stand a chance".

## Accolades

| Year | Award | Category | Nominee/Work | Result |
| 2025 | 25th IIFA Awards | Best Film | Shaitaan | Nominated |
| 2025 | 25th IIFA Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Janki Bodiwala | Won |
| 2025 | 25th IIFA Awards | Best Performance in a Negative Role | R. Madhavan | Nominated |