First things first..Bejoy Nambiar does really good as the first time director of this dark and gritty fare. The cinematography, background music and chase scenes are done brilliantly. We have seen Mumbai's raw , unadulterated face exposed in several movies but that does not make it boring to watch, especially when done right.The cast , most of whom are first timers do a pretty decent job..some more than others. The introduction scenes explains the basics without spoon feeding the audience. Some scenes are cringe worthy and too stark but it warns the audience that this won't be a sugar coated anything movie.Even the storyline is interesting But..yes there is a but here.Had shaitan been released a couple of years back, there would not have been that many movies for a comparison. However ,as standards for Indian movies get higher, bolder and even deliciously original expectations increase. Shaitan has the right tone but the characterization falls flat..and takes the plot down with it..When the characters got introduced there seemed to be a pattern emerging..KC was the rich kid with an unexplained violent streak, Dash was the initiator who gave a damn about anyone, Neil was the timid one with secret desires , amy the crazy one with ideas and tania the follower..Once the movie progresses all characters go haywire...Dash sets the plan but cannot convince anyone of anything...Amy goes crazy purely on her own devices...and KC who is supposed to be mean and violent grows a conscience and becomes scared..the rest just bolt. Since the friendship doesn't go beyond merrymaking , the falling out holds no merit...The only character which remains true to its form ( mainly because it was one dimensional) is the cop's. The other characters in the movie are not too bad..I haven't watched Paanch but looking at some scenes on youtube, KK Menon's character seems scary , wild and completely unpredictable...That's not the case here..The Shakespearean darkness of plot..the sense of pure evil is actually missing in here...Instead there are 5 kids who are ordinary in extraordinary circumstances..maybe I am missing something...A little more shaitani and we would almost be there...

I watched this movie with a lot of expectations and was hoping some sensible stuff from Anurag Kashyap's production house. But after watching the movie I wondered who the Shaitan (Daemon) was. Was it the director (Bejoy), the writer (again Bejoy), producer (Anurag) or the viewer (a.k.a. me)? More on this later.The movie started off quite well with good introductions of main characters but slowly it started going nowhere. A lot of situations in the movie were useless. For e.g. the issues between the inspector (Rajeev) and his wife were unexplained. Also there was no real need of this particular track.Towards the second half, the director (I wonder who suggested him this) decided to put a lot of songs instead of a background score. Can you imagine songs playing in the background one after the other while you show the serious stuff on the screen?As far as performances are concerned, the inspector (Rajeev) was the best followed by the commissioner (Pawan), KC (Gulshan) and Zubin (Neil). 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? I guess it was the director as he could have made a more tight and gripping stuff.

Truly speaking it's an upgraded version of Anurag Kashyap's own debut film made almost a decade back, which was banned by the censors. The film was titled "PAANCH" and it was also a story of 5 friends who find themselves in a fix due to some unforeseen circumstances. Interestingly it was supposed to be the debut movie of Tejasvini Kolhapure (Padmini Kohlapuri's sister) too. Written on the same theme SHAITAN also revolves around a group of 3 boys and 2 girls who suddenly get involved in a bloody accident killing two innocent men on the road. And then to save themselves from the Police they unwillingly have to make further plans which bring in more trouble for them. Apart from "Paanch" the main theme of the film also reminds you of "I Know What You Did Last Summer" (1997) and "Very Bad Things" (1998). It starts off well with a brilliant collage kind of first few minutes which has Anurag Kashyap stamp all over it along with the well composed and arranged background score. The first half an hour has got nothing much other than the introduction of its characters which makes the viewer a little restless to see something more thrilling happening on the screen. And then there comes the shocking accident which brings in the pace and in a few minutes the film gets converted into a bloody thrilling drama. 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. He shows a remarkable sense of shooting tense sequences and action packed chases with interesting musical tracks being played in the background. But as far as the content and plot is concerned he has nothing new to offer and also leaves too many loopholes in the script which could have been easily avoided.For instance, 1. There is no account of the 2 innocent people murdered in the accident in the whole film. 2. The dream scenes of Koechlin and her mother seem to be inserted deliberately to give it an artistic touch and for justifying the mysterious character of the girl which fail to make any kind of impact. 3. Post the kidnapping plan all the five friends keep wandering in the market and even go out for a movie in a theater, wearing white shinning sports shoes under their black burqas and no one ever suspects them. 4. The side track of Rajeev Khandelwal's broken marriage is neither interesting nor gels well with the theme of the film. Though the silent moments within the couple are well conceived, but the track could have been easily edited out to keep the duration short. 5. The attempted rape sequence of one of the girls again looks out of place, when in a very questionable scene (just before that) the girl is shown standing in the mid of a dark staircase with her revealing dress, a lighter and in a posture like a prostitute . 6. The film is quite long and becomes very tiring towards the climax. And supporting my observation I would like to mention, the voice I heard coming from my back in the hall, just before the climax, which said, "Arey Yeh Kab Khatam Hogi?"Performance wise, I found everyone putting their best but still not hitting the bull's eye due to the incomplete characterizations given to them by the writers. The whole cast is fine but somehow you can't relate to them while watching the film. Rajeev Khandelwal excels everyone else, in the role of a tough cop and is terrific, but still he doesn't come up as hard as it should be. Raj Kumar Yadav, of LSD and RAGINI fame, is once again very realistic and likable as the corrupt police official. Koechlin is improving with her each film and perfectly suits the role written for her, but it's high time she should come out of the image of a psycho person. Kirti as the second female lead looks beautiful but gets less scope in comparison. Out of the three boys, the best act comes from Gulshan Devaiya as KC followed by Shiv Pandit and Neil Boopalam. 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. But if you are an avid viewer of English Cinema then you may not find anything fresh in this over lengthy venture made on a seen before plot. To be straight, I only found one enjoyable scene in the film, when Rajeev simply kicks the auto-rickshaw and forcibly sits in after the driver refuses to go and that's it.

Shaitan is a very well made movie and Performances of the actors are also fantastic..it keeps you on the edge of seat and ending is superbly done.. I have been a fan of thriller movies and nearly sen all Hollywood movie from Hitchcock to current source code..They are great movies and i am glad shaitan came on Indian screen by an Indian director and maverick produce/director/actor Anurag Kashyap.. I always liked his kind of movies and watched his every movie .. They are simply great and he is his own unique style of storytelling which keeps you hooked till the very end.. 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.. It is great cinema ,no doubt about it..But a great cinema can also influence great many people and the generations also.. I know that my single stance can not change anything but still i would like to maintain that this world lacks optimism and cinema should spread optimism ..Positive movies with positive motives and selflessness should be made..When you come out of theater you should be full of energy and optimism about life in general..I hope all people there making movies will understand it..You all are genius and very hard working and may be intellectual or philosopher also but communication and cinema are very strong medium and strong are its effects..Entertain and educate and enlighten(in spiritual sense) people with your power of movie making..Thanks and Shaitan is great cinema..8/10..