Name: vash
Director: Krishnadev Yagnik
Released: 2023-02-10T16:08:00

If you are a fan of Shaitaan, you’ll be pleased to know the original Indian Gujarati-language film, Vash directed by Krishnadev Yagnik is streaming now too. Hindi horror movie hit Shaitaan is streaming on Netflix and Mother of Movies reviewed it not that long ago (read about that here.) But if you weren’t up to speed with all things puppetry of the devil, you’ve come to the right place.

Aside from the dialect differences, most of the cast has been switched out too. Lead actress Janki Bodiwala stars as Aarya in the original title and the remake (Shaitaan 2024.) The rest of the family are almost duplicate mirrors of each other. As is almost all of the narrative.

Are Vash and Shaitaan the Same?

The story follows the scenario of a harmonious family heading on a family vacation for the weekend. Vash, as a production, is far less razzle-dazzle than Shaitaan. Vash also feels a lot more Westernized than its flair-filled remake. The differences between the two films lie largely in the two versions of the sinister mastermind who wants nothing more than to control the world.

Up until the point when Hiten Kumar who plays the mysterious stranger Pratap Shaitaan and Vash are identical. In the original, Pratap also appears in a cafe innocuating Aarya with candy that strips you of your will. I found Prataps’ portrayal to be instantly menacing, as opposed to Vanraj in Shaitaan.

Plot points along the way build much of the same dynamic, with the family being a tight-knit unit happily frolicking in the pool fully clothed, and being generally playful. Performances for both films are equally as likable and bare a striking resemblance look-wise in both films too.

Differences Between Plots in Vash and Shaitaan Movies

Pratap’s power over the family wreaks havoc and Vash moves along quickly due to a slightly shorter runtime. Shaitaan is afforded an extra 15 minutes and what looks like a bigger budget. But there is no denying that Vash is the darker version of the two. One look at the poster was all I needed to see. In the image is a pale-faced Aarya with scissors sticking out of her ears. Anyone who has already seen Shaitaan will know that it is not a very violent film.

The ending of Vash is where much of the differences come in. In the original Gujarati horror film, Pratap lures Arraya’s dad, Atharva to the same hidden fire pit. Instead of cutting out the devil’s tongue so he could release all of the captured women, he shoves scissors in his daughter’s ears so she doesn’t jump into it.

If shocking finales are your preference, Vash steers away from happy endings and straight into the darkest corners of horror. While Shaitaan hints that killing the devil while he holds power over his victims will result in having a toy without a remote, Vash decides that is exactly what Aarya’s fate shall be.

At the end of Vash, Pratap disappears and Aarya is left bed-bound and unhinged forever. The remake sparked comments about the original film having plot holes, however for Mother of Movies, it traversed a gut-punch final scene where the Devil wins in the end.