Upfront and unapologetic, Shaitan makes a shocking statement

Bina Trivedi (BOMBAY TIMES; June 10, 2011)

 

Inspired by real-life incidents, Shaitan, which hits theatres today, is a gripping, fast-paced thriller, that delves into the lives of urban youth.
Produced by Anurag Kashyap and coproduced by Tipping Point Films — a division of Viacom 18 Motion Pictures — this film marks the directorial debut of Bejoy Nambiar, who earlier assisted Mani Ratnam and Kashyap. Says Bejoy, “There is a shaitan in all of us that peeks out every now and then. It depends on how well we keep it in check. The film, through its array of characters, attempts to tackle this issue. It is inspired by daily articles that I kept reading in the papers about youngsters tipping over the edge.

Starring Rajeev Khandelwal, Kalki Koechlin, Neil Bhoopalam, Shiv Pandit, Kirti Kulhari and Gulshan Devaiah, the film is the story of five youngsters set in the urbanscape of Mumbai. Amy, Dash, KC, Zubin and Tanya know no boundaries and seek edgy excitement until they are made to face their “inner Shaitan” when a ‘moment’ changes everything.

After raising eyebrows thanks to its contemporary, thrilling and edgy promo the film’s music has now gone on to be a staple in every youngster’s collection. Says Anurag Kashyap, “It is a relentless and anarchistic type of movie made by a director I think is far superior to most filmmakers in the business, including me.”

Finally, we have a young movie that is not candyfloss or detached from the perception of the youth. Rather this is how youth movies should be — real, upfront and unapologetic.