Shaitan

Plot synopsis:
Shaitan starts off with Amy (Kalki Koechlin), who is mentally disturbed and deeply affected by the attempted suicide and eventual institutionalisation of her mother, Saira. She moves from Los Angeles to Mumbai, where she meets KC (Gulshan Devaiya) at a party her parents forcefully take her to. KC introduces her to his gang – Dash (Shiv Pandit), Zubin (Neil Bhoopalam) and Tanya (Kirti Kulhari). They lead a directionless life, having fun, drinking, using drugs and driving around in a Hummer. On one such occasion, they start racing a random car and win. In the celebration rush, they run over two people riding on a scooter, killing them instantly.
They quickly leave the spot but are easily traced down by a slimy cop, Inspector Malwankar (Rajkummar Rao), who demands ₹ 2,500,000 ($41,500) to drop the case. Dash tells them about a friend (Rajat Barmecha) who faked his own brother's kidnapping and extracted ₹ 2 million from his own parents. After Amy volunteers to be the kidnapping victim, they hatch a plan. Upon receiving the ransom call, Amy's father, contrary to their expectations immediately approaches Police Commissioner (Pavan Malhotra) for help. The Police Commissioner assigns an upright cop Arvind Mathur (Rajeev Khandelwal) to solve the case unofficially, as he is on suspension after throwing a corporator from the first floor of his own house for allegedly beating up a woman. Inspector Mathur is shown to be having a disturbed married life and nearly divorces his wife.
The group of youngsters then hide in a shady hotel, acting upon the plan hatched by Dash. When Tanya is nearly raped by a man, they react violently and kill him. They escape from the lodge and hide out in a cinema hall, where Amy finds a packet of cocaine in Dash's satchel. Tanya is deeply disturbed by their recent actions, and convinces Zubin to take her home. While Zubin leaves to find a taxi, Tanya gets into an altercation with Amy. Amy, while under the influence of cocaine, is convinced that the phone call that Tanya was making to her sister was actually to the police. In the physical confrontation that follows, KC severely injures Tanya. Zubin, upon returning, finds the gruesome scene and flees. He is later arrested by the police while attempting to leave the city. Dash takes Amy and KC to a church in the outskirts of Mumbai and instructs them to hide there while he tries to figure things out with Malwankar.
The arrested Zubin, in the meantime, reveals the entire scenario to the police. They track down Malwankar, who was attempting to escape with his wife. In the ensuing chase, Malwankar is nearly killed in an auto collision. While buying food, the exasperated KC sees his handicapped sister being traumatised by the media. He then calls his father and asks him for help. Using this call, the police trace the trio to the church. Upon returning to the church, KC tells the other two everything and tries to convince Amy to leave the church with him. Dash, however, confronts him and the two get into a bloody confrontation. It ends with Dash beating KC to death. Dash then tries to get Amy to leave the church with him. However, a cocaine-fuelled Amy has a traumatic flashback involving her mother trying to drown her as a child. In this frenzy, she stabs Dash, who is trying to restrain her. She is then found by Inspector Mathur.
The police, despite knowing the truth, get the three surviving friends to sign a statement saying that Dash had kidnapped all four. This is done to save the reputation of the much-maligned police force. Mathur then meets his wife, indicating a possible reconciliation. The film ends with Amy being resigned to the convent, that she always feared, albeit with her mother's name (Saira).

Tags: humor, flashback

Review:
That gun fight sequence itself is the best part of the entire film and something that has never shown in Hindi cinema before.On performances, Shaitan a power house.
The storyline caught my attention and decided to watch it.and am glad i did.It is dark,dramatic and a bit of humor.I had to mention humor because it wasn't like those comedy scenes that you find in other Bollywood films.It made sense and that went with the story.'Shaitan' is realistic in every sense.Movie has five main characters and the whole story revolves around the 'events' that they did.It shows the life of 5 young friends who is living life like hell.They drink,they shop lift,they fool around,pretty much everything that makes you feel alive.But a bit too much adrenalin rush followed by some unwise decisions turns their life around.I absolutely loved the cast.Especially Kalki Koechlin and Rajeev Khandelwal.The direction was different and amusing.Although it was directed by Bejoy Nambiar, one can really see the hands of Anurag Kashyap behind this film.Its also said that this is an upgraded version of Kashyap's 'Paanch' which actually has to go through a lot of trouble with the sensor boards because 'it was too dark'.'Shaitan' has everything that i love in a movie.and i am so glad that they didn't destroy it with the cheesy songs and dances.I expect to watch more like these from Bollywood.
Every scene is shot in the ultra stylish way leading to a brilliant story telling.Music and background score adds a new dimension to the movie.First half of the movie is extremely engaging and entertaining, the second half lacks a bit by predictable turns and twists.All the subplots of the movie like their characters are very strong take it as subtle love story of Rajeev Khandelwal (So graceful on the screen) or the one with Amy's mother, every character has its own story to tell and they tell it in their own ultra stylish way.The "Shubhu" cameo (By someone who has done commendable job in AK's last produced movie) and Nikhil Chinnapa add the surprise factor to the movie.Yet again a brilliant piece of cinema by Anurag Kashyap Production and kudos to Bijoy Nambiar..
What was considered to be a harmless plan turns out to be something that will change their lives forever.This movie is a classic example of how peer pressures and herd mentality can actually make the sanest of people do things that they wouldn't normally do, only to realize it when it's too late.There is also a parallel track running of the cop Mathur (Rajeev Khandelwal) who has been given the responsibility of handling the case.
A yellow Hummer speeding down the road with five youths and an Audi speeds past them almost in a 'catch me if you can" style.Then begins the race.One of the guys in hummer making a video of the race on his mobile to capture the moment of winning,Others cheering him,after sometime Audi quits the race accepting its defeat,turns left on a roundabout.The guy driving Hummer, starts circling the roundabout with a triumphant joy,others cheering him again.Then suddenly they stop to a screeching halt ,everyone tumbles over.They get down to see something which gives them the horror of their lives and sets the plot for the rest of the film.'Shaitan' looks straight into the face of the reluctant,not-so-eager Indian viewer and shakes him out of the slumber by introducing him to his own dark reality.People get used to complacency and are satisfied that what they are being served is what they only deserve, but when a filmmaker like Anurag Kashyap takes up the cause,he makes sure we get nothing but the best.The film is about a bunch of kids(as they are supposed to be attending schools) who are rich and carry a devil-may-care attitude.A 'rebel without a clue', 'KC' ,who has a rich god-fearing dad,doesn't mind stealing his mom's jewellery when he and his friends are in trouble and need money.Amy an NRI joins the 'gang' later ,has a destructive mentality because she lost her mother at an early age and holds everyone in her family responsible for that.Tanya,a forced model who does a saree ad because her sister wants her to.Dash is the guy we know least about and 'Zubin' played by neil bhoopalam an ex channel 'v' video jockey a gadget geek who sheepishly smiles when he gets caught by his mom giving himself a hand-job and finally Rajeev Khandelwal as Inspector Mathur who impresses again as 'tough as nail' cop who would rather kick an auto-driver than arguing when he refuses to go to a certain place .First time director Bejoy seems to have done his homework well and impresses with innovative camera techniques .
There's a shot through a beer bottle during a song and the introduction of Insepector Mathur which is done in POV camera style.Producer Anurag kashyap is a prolific director himself and some of the scenes in the film seem like they've been lifted straight from his previous films like there's a scene in the film where a 'good cop' (Rajeev Khandelwal) chases a 'bad cop' through the narrow by-lanes of Bombay slums a la the 'great chase' sequence in his own movie 'Black Friday'.Producer further indulges himself by recreating another scene from his own film 'Paanch' which got shelved after a controversial face-off with the censor-board because of its violent and drug related scenes and still seem like too much for our iron-clad society even after more than 10 years of its making.'Shaitan' scores some extra points when it shows some real gory and bloody scenes and creates a feeling of horror in the viewer who by so far was enjoying good music and trying to relive his own college days by watching the gang's juvenile antics.This film does, what 'Dil chahta hai' and 'Rang de basanti' did for the decade just went by,which is, showing another facade of the youth which can be all fun-loving at times but has the potential for being the most turbulent when its expected to be at its best.I feel more films like 'Shaitan' should come out as these films are not made to send a message across but to make one feel that anyone can have an alternative side which he's not aware of and can wreck a havoc if not timely tamed..
The scenes from the asylum give us a hint that the movie is on the insane end of brain, like most of Anurag's films are.
Remarkable scenes :- When KC asks Amy to open a 'joint account', the accident scene(of course), the crashing of the beer bottle and a TV set, by KC and Dash respectively, on the heads of two guys who were 'teasing' and 'more than teasing' their girls, Khoya Khoya Chand(thats already a rage), the shot where Inspector Arvind Mathur flashes from behind a bed and kills a junkie(though you can't possibly save yourself from machine gun fires with a mattress) and Amy's hallucinations of her mom when she is high in the 'Church'(thats Anurag Kashyap).
He was amazing in Dev D and got even better in Shaitan.The camera work and the direction takes the movie to a whole new dimension.The soundtracks are awesome and full of energy as the movie is all about youth.So what i like the most about the movie ?It's a tough call as there is everything in it despite of its genre.Seems like all human emotions are poured into the movie with shear brilliance.It's intense, funny, exciting, suspenseful, superbly acted, violent, has great characters.The last thing why I liked Shaitan was that I got bored only at the interval.
The story involves five youngster from various backgrounds bonded through friendship.The friend circle comprises of Gulshan Devaiya playing the role of KC, a rich brat and a non-conformist living on the edge of reality.A parsi pervert (resembles Fattu of Paanch) Zubin played by Neil Bhopalam,Tanya (played by Kriti Kulhari) an upcoming film actress and a model, then Amy superbly played by Kalkie Koechlin.Amy is the disturbed daughter of a rich NRI father (Played by Rajit Kapoor)who is yet to accept her mother's death.Strangely her mother was a psychic patient who in her self-destructive mode tried to kill young Amy. Amy in her psychotic dilemma loves her mother and at the same time trying to come out of her mother's death web.The gang comes to full circle with Divyanshu sahu aka Dash (striking debut by Shiv Pandit) who is a drug peddler and a coffee shop waiter.Dash is connected to the whole group with the element of Lucy in the sky with diamonds.The friends gang with Screw rules faces an accident in a moment of ecstasy and thus follows the series of crime one after the other while they go into the self- delusional mode.With a dejavu of Paanch the young spirited minds came to terms with their inner Shaitan (satan).
Like a chameleon he went into the character of the Moral upright cop fighting with his own self as he tries to solve the case as well as his personal crisis.Kalki Koechlin as usual gave a superb performance as disturbed Amy coming to terms with her existence.
But sadly, post intermission it all gets a little messy, lengthy and repetitive which even becomes tedious to watch till the end.No doubt, the debutant director Bejoy Nambiar proves his talent with a strong grip over the performances, camera angles and presentation of the movie.
In the supporting case Pawan Malhotra & Rajit Kapur are just fine, Nikhil Chinnappa is hardly seen and Rukhsar successfully manages to catch your attention.The other worth mentioning merit of the movie apart from its impressive treatment and striking Cinematography, is its interesting Soundtrack including the background score.
Although the film should have been a song less thriller, but still the intelligent use of the songs in the backdrop add a different perspective in its narration which really works.So, if only you are interested in watching a movie for its treatment, cinematography and few great chase sequences then do go for SHAITAN.
Dash is the guy we know least about and 'Zubin' played by Neil bhoopalam an ex channel 'v' video jockey a gadget geek who sheepishly smiles when he gets caught by his mom giving himself a hand-job and finally Rajeev Khandelwal as Inspector Mathur who impresses again as 'tough as nail' cop who would rather kick an auto-driver than arguing when he refuses to go to a certain place .First time director Bejoy seems to have done his homework well and impresses with innovative camera techniques.
The movie is a cinematic achievement and is a must watch for every cinema lover.'Shaitan' scores some extra points when it shows some real gory and bloody scenes and creates a feeling of horror in the viewer who by so far was enjoying good music and trying to relive his own college days by watching the gang's juvenile antics.
This film does, what 'Dil chahta hai' and 'Rang de basanti' did for the decade just went by,which is, showing another facade of the youth which can be all fun-loving at times but has the potential for being the most turbulent when its expected to be at its best.The other worth mentioning merit of the movie apart from its impressive treatment and striking Cinematography, is its interesting Soundtrack including the background score.
Remarkable scenes :- the accident scene(of course), the crashing of the beer bottle and a TV set, by KC and Dash respectively, on the heads of two guys who were 'teasing' and 'more than teasing' their girls, Khoya Khoya Chand(thats already a rage), the shot where Inspector Arvind Mathur flashes from behind a bed and kills a junkie(though you can't possibly save yourself from machine gun fires with a mattress) and Amy's hallucinations of her mom when she is high in the 'Church' (thats Anurag Kashyap).SHAITAN has an ensemble cast and offers ample scope for each character to perform.
Once the film gets going, especially after the accident sequence, there's always something happening on screen.Of the five actors who play the wild young friends, Kalki Koechlin stands out as the traumatized, disturbed and insensitive Amy. Rajeev Khandelwal is terrific as the no-nonsense copper determined to find Amy. Rajit Kapur and Pavan Malhotra provide great support.
The movie is a cinematic achievement and is a must watch for every cinema lover..Casting is perfect with Rajeev Khandelwal as a tough cop..Role suits him and so was the kalki's role..It was role made for her..Also to mention i liked KC and That LSD guy..The new breed of actors is real good..Having said all these i would also like to add that while watching Shaitan you get nearly all emotions(which is its strength) and it has some eerie feeling also..
Debutante director Bejoy Nambiar does an outstanding job as a first-timer and he'll be someone to look forward to.All in all,'Shaitan' is an extremely engaging film which makes for a very good (and slightly disturbing) watch.
Is it the thumping feel of the moments or is it the insane, complex and unstable working of our minds????Shaitan features a group of youngsters to whom life is all about being reckless,being high and being enjoying things over the top.Their rule is to screw all the rules but have one "usool" or mantra,"Bharosa",trust on each other.Ten minutes into the movie and we welcome their world with open hands.The awkward camera angles,catchy dialogues and superb background score only add on to the freshness of the movie.But,life can't be just happy and fun going for our gang.A wild night and an all-of-a-sudden incident changes their lives and gloom plays on their faces replacing the shaitani out of the frame.From here on begins a mind numbing journey making us see the ugly faces of corruption,kidnapping,of facing inner demons,betrayal,dope,vice and the unapologetic truth.And guess what..!!We end up sympathizing our uber cool guys.The way of letting us know the little little nuances(read "shaitani") associated with each character helps us to dive in their twisted lives and and gets emotionally attached to them.From the dark and raw past of Amy to the present day thinking of the girl,we understand the reason of her being neurotic and why she have the rawest of emotions you have seen on screen in quite some time.The zany,fast cutting camera work(can be compared to Darren Aronofsky's movies) along with the hard hitting and hard-to-accept,gruesome reality makes us sit up and see the eccentric movie which will surely find many haters along with the lovers.Special mention of "Khoya Khoya Chand" sequence is a must as such a rendition just takes you off guard.The uncanny chase through Dharawi is splendid too and will surely create many goosebumps.The loopholes,well..very less actually.Maybe the half-baked story of the cop(Rajiv Khandelwal) or the reason of Amy's mother's eccentric behavior.This exhilarating ride will definitely leave your eyes quenched of the amount of perfection shown by the newbie director and when the end credits role down,what left in you will be the surreal sound of bass and a feeling of being numb.Go out and UNLEASH YOUR DEMONS..
The plot revolves around 5 youngsters called KC(Gulshan),Tanya(Kirti),Dash(Shiv),Amy (Kalki) & Zubin (Neil) who hail from filthy rich families...(at least 4 of them do...Dash is a drug peddler who has managed to climb up the social ladder with his HARDwork)..who have nothing better to do than party 24/7,snort cocaine,go for drives on their hummer and participate in 'JOINT' efforts of all kinds...Their merriment comes to a standstill one night when their road rage results in an accident where they end up killing a couple of hapless motorists...This incident sets in motion a chain of events where to shut the case they need to bribe the police inspector Malvankar (RAjkumar from Ragini MMS) and to come up with the bribe money,they stage a kidnapping of Amy which becomes prime time news and before the five realize what they are up to they become the famous 5....Here enters Inspector Mathur (RAjeev Khandelwal) who is battling marriage problems off his own and who is suspended for the time being for coolly pushing a rogue corporate off the first floor....The cat and mouse begins and one by one,the friends realize they are not so friendly after all with each other as the inner SHAITAN raises its ugly head...
Moving on to the performances,,,Rajeev KHandelwal as Inspector Mathur is the trump card of the film..His amazingly calculated performance as a cop fighting his inner angst is superb....Among the 5,Shiv PAndit shines bright in his debut feature with a solid turn as the mastermind of the group...Gulshan,i am told has years of theater experience...well..all that comes in handy as he plays the most menacing character of the group with ease...Neil doesn't have much to do but still manages to impress....Kirti Kulhari brings in the X factor to the group...SHe is extremely easy on the eyes...Kalki as always is brilliant,,but i wish she didn't have to go into flashback mode so often and become the grudge girl...Rajat Barmecha (the Udaan boy) is a scene stealer in a cameo and that remains the bests sequence of the film....Among the rest,Nikhil Chinappa has precious little to do than run behind inspector Mathur..Rajkumar continuing from where he left off in Ragini MMS is damn good....
Things are going great till they run over 2 innocent people while driving rash in a road race.This is where the movie starts to reveal the evilness of characters.These buddies come up with a perfect plan to cover up and hell starts to break loose when a corrupt cop is chasing them.Their egos clash and you know for sure that there is trouble in paradise.Most of the actors do justice to the screen time provided to them.Rajeev Khandelwal is brilliant as the cop whose personal life is tainted but he continues to work wonders at his work.Kalki seem to made for character Amy, she does a commendable job.
Amy (Kalki) and others were average.Overall it is a one time watch movie that you want to forget asap.So who was the real Shaitan?