In the mixed tradition of home invasion thrillers such as Michael Haneke's Funny Games (2007) and Eli Roth's Knock Knock (2015), director Vikas Bahl's Shaitaan has taken a stab at the genre, with decidedly mixed results.
The invaded home in question is populated by a family of four: chartered accountant Kabir (Ajay Devgn), his wife Neha (Jyothika), and their two kids Jahnvi (Janaki Bodiwala; Vash) and Dhruv (Anngad Raj).
On the way to their holiday home in a remote village, they bump into an unassuming-looking friendly stranger (R. Madhavan; Rocketry: The Nambi Effect) who follows them home, invites himself in and threatens their peaceful existence. As the family realise they're in this for the long haul, they're forced to confront their wildest fears for any chance at outsmarting him and his borderline inhuman powers of coercive manipulation.
Adapted from Krishnadev Yagnik's Gujarati horror-thriller Vash, Shaitaan is saddled with a narrative that doesn't feel original on the surface.
Like most traditional horror films of this ilk, it opens with a creep-inducing prologue, cuts to a quick establishment scene of the primary characters and their dynamic to get you to care for them – boy, do they lay the whole perfect family aesthetic on real thick – and then introduces the antagonist. There's also the theme of dark supernatural forces that's been a part many uninspiring Indian horror movies.
It is clear what the film is trying to accomplish but it often stumbles into ham-fisted territory. Still, the cat-and-mouse game between good and evil is engaging enough to keep viewers guessing.
With a stellar performance from Bodiwala, who's been tasked with the most physically demanding role of the entire cast, there is much to keep viewers engaged until the end.
Among the top brass, while Devgn is unsurprisingly competent, Jyothika is the stand out, portraying a wife and mother completely gobsmacked by the unfolding of events around her whose emotions of rage, fear and haplessness feel natural and terrifyingly relatable.
This is only Jyothika's second Hindi film since her feature-film debut more than two decades ago in 1998, her performance here has made it clear that her increased presence would help lift the entire industry around her.
SHAITTAN
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Madhavan seems to be the only one having fun with the film's narrative, however. As the antagonist, he's an excellent and often spine-tingling presence as a sociopathic, almost superhuman stranger who imposes an aura of nightmarish indefatigability.
It's sad, however, that Bahl and screenwriter Aamil Keeyan Khan fall into storytelling structures that range from cliched to borderline questionable because quite a bit of it – even within the hackneyed narrative – had the potential to make for a memorable thriller.
For what it's worth, Shaitaan is pretty decent. Much of it is excellently filmed, boasts a rich production design – especially towards its final act – and gets sufficiently stressful. It's a fun ride, while it lasts. For all its potential, however, it's disappointing that it wasn't made memorable enough to be anything more.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre flat-six twin-turbocharged
Transmission: eight-speed PDK automatic
Power: 445bhp
Torque: 530Nm
Price: Dh474,600
On Sale: Now
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
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Super Rugby play-offs
Quarter-finals
- Hurricanes 35, ACT 16
- Crusaders 17, Highlanders 0
- Lions 23, Sharks 21
- Chiefs 17, Stormers 11
Semi-finals
Saturday, July 29
- Crusaders v Chiefs, 12.35pm (UAE)
- Lions v Hurricanes, 4.30pm
Disability on screen
Empire — neuromuscular disease myasthenia gravis; bipolar disorder; post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Rosewood and Transparent — heart issues
24: Legacy — PTSD;
Superstore and NCIS: New Orleans — wheelchair-bound
Taken and This Is Us — cancer
Trial & Error — cognitive disorder prosopagnosia (facial blindness and dyslexia)
Grey’s Anatomy — prosthetic leg
Scorpion — obsessive compulsive disorder and anxiety
Switched at Birth — deafness
One Mississippi, Wentworth and Transparent — double mastectomy
Dragons — double amputee
England's all-time record goalscorers:
Wayne Rooney 53
Bobby Charlton 49
Gary Lineker 48
Jimmy Greaves 44
Michael Owen 40
Tom Finney 30
Nat Lofthouse 30
Alan Shearer 30
Viv Woodward 29
Frank Lampard 29
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
Grand slam winners since July 2003
Who has won major titles since Wimbledon 2003 when Roger Federer won his first grand slam
Roger Federer 19 (8 Wimbledon, 5 Australian Open, 5 US Open, 1 French Open)
Rafael Nadal 16 (10 French Open, 3 US Open, 2 Wimbledon, 1 Australian Open)
Novak Djokovic 12 (6 Australian Open, 3 Wimbledon, 2 US Open, 1 French Open)
Andy Murray 3 (2 Wimbledon, 1 US Open)
Stan Wawrinka 3 (1 Australian Open, 1 French Open, 1 US Open)
Andy Roddick 1 (1 US Open)
Gaston Gaudio 1 (1 French Open)
Marat Safin 1 (1 Australian Open)
Juan Martin del Potro 1 (1 US Open)
Marin Cilic 1 (1 US Open)
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20SAMSUNG%20GALAXY%20Z%20FOLD%204
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
THE SPECS
Engine: Four-cylinder 2.5-litre
Transmission: Seven-speed auto
Power: 165hp
Torque: 241Nm
Price: Dh99,900 to Dh134,000
On sale: now
Aldar Properties Abu Dhabi T10
*November 15 to November 24
*Venue: Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi
*Tickets: Start at Dh10, from ttensports.com
*TV: Ten Sports
*Streaming: Jio Live
*2017 winners: Kerala Kings
*2018 winners: Northern Warriors
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
RoboCop%3A%20Rogue%20City
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Everything Now
Arcade Fire
(Columbia Records)
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
BLACK%20ADAM
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PLAY-OFF%20DRAW
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
RESULTS
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SHAITTAN
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