The recently released film Shaitaan has emerged as a big hit. Starring Ajay Devgn, R Madhavan and Jyotika, the supernatural thriller has been loved for its performances, thrilling moments, execution and above all, writing. Aamil Keeyan Khan wrote the adapted screenplay and dialogues and in the recent past, he also wrote films of diverse genres like Runway 34 (2022), Drishyam 2 (2022) and Bholaa (2023). Bollywood Hungama exclusively spoke with Aamil about the process of writing Shaitaan and a lot more.
What feedback have you received for Shaitaan?
I have seen the film a couple of times but to see people’s reactions in the cinema halls is a fascinating experience. I was apprehensive about certain scenes as at the end of the day, Shaitaan is a story of a family. If the emotion doesn’t work, then nothing works. Thankfully, the film has connected. In fact, on the day of the release, I witnessed a standing ovation given during the intermission scene! That was a shocker. I was like, ‘Yeh kya ho raha hai’! And of course, the climax is being very well-received. As a writer, I feel happy to see such a response.
Ajay Devgn has delivered a strong performance, especially in the climax. He’s a mass star and he totally goes into that zone…
Hats off to him for choosing a role like this. On paper, it is not a film centred around his character. It’s a family story and the daughter has an interesting arc. He was fully aware that R Madhavan’s character would dominate his character. Yet, he chose to go for it. That’s why Madhavan sir remarked at the trailer launch that he asked Ajay sir why he didn’t consider playing Vanraj’s role. But Ajay sir hands down is one of the most secure stars. In Bollywood, often when the screenplay is written, you are asked to keep the star in focus. That’s the unsaid mandate. Ajay sir, however, has been an exception to this rule. Even director Vikas Bahl was clear from day one that this is a family’s story at its heart.
To give you an example, there’s a scene of Jyotika mam’s outburst post-interval where Vanraj does something despicable. The obvious thought was to have Ajay’s character take the initiative. But organically, it was not working out. Vikas sir insisted, ‘Yahaan pe maa ka reaction aana chahiye’. Ajay happily agreed as he believed that we should do what was right for the script. In fact, on the first day of the shoot, he said, ‘R Madhavan and Janki Bodiwala are going to get the most applause and rightly so’.
Also, one feedback I have gotten is that just because we have a massive star, aisa nahin hai ki unke close-up shots humne daal diye hai. There was no attempt on our part to go out of the way and justify the presence of a superstar.
The ending of the original film, Vash (2023), was different than the one in Shaitaan. Please tell us about the process of making changes in the adapted screenplay…
I had worked on remakes earlier. In Drishyam 2, for instance, we knew that the last 30 minutes had a killer twist in the original version. At the same time, we felt that there was an issue with the pacing and characterization in the first half. We tweaked it, hence, and worked on the characters of Akshaye Khanna and Gaitonde (played by Kamlesh Sawant). So, with every film, you’ll have to go by your intuition and make changes. Hence, it upsets me when people claim that ‘it’s a frame-to-frame remake of the original version’.
For instance, the cylinder scene was not there in the original. Neither do the cops land at the bungalow. The swing sequence, too, was our addition and so was the climax and all the seeds that were planted in the first half and the characters.
Even the character of Vanraj, played brilliantly by R Madhavan is a different character. The dark humour, the sadism, the sarcasm, the motive, the grandeur and the timing are an amalgamation of how differently Maddy sir has chosen to play it along with the director’s inputs and the writing. People enjoy negative characters, but only until a certain point. Humein yeh dekhna hota hai ki how far are the moviegoers ready to go for it? After a point, they want him to suffer.
Also, Madhavan looks innocent. It looks convincing when the family trusts him in the café…
Exactly. If you cast someone who looks evil from the beginning, then it doesn’t work. Thankfully, R Madhavan has the image of someone very sweet and lovable. Also, most of the nuances are his own creation. He, Vikas sir, Jyotika mam, Janki, Anggad and Ajay sir sat for reading sessions and all of them made valuable contributions to the script. It’s where most of the magic happened. I’d also like to add that working with Vikas sir has been a learning curve.
Were you on the set?
Yes, I was there from the inception and also during the entire course of the shoot.
How was it shooting with Janki Bodiwala and Anngad Raaj?
Angad has done a lot of work before Shaitaan. His mother, who was a very sweet lady, used to be on the sets. We used to keep talking. He was absolutely natural. He was very sweet to work with but he was also very sharp. His character has been changed; it is similar to what he is in real life. I believe that worked well.
As for Janki, I didn’t know that she was a huge star in Gujarati cinema. It was a unanimous decision to cast her. And she has pushed herself and how. The role was physically demanding. Take the swing scene for instance. Moviegoers saw the scene for 30 seconds but it was shot for 2-3 hours. Anngad ko sach mein chakkar aane lage the.
The way Janki made sure the beats of her character’s progression looked very natural proves her immense talent. Every beat demanded a different emotion entirely. She had to scream, cry and laugh for hours. And everyone knew she was apt. Ajay sir knew she’d kill it because actors can guess if their co-star can nail the part.
It was a pleasure to see Jyotika in a Hindi film after ages…
I told her that ‘On paper, I didn’t feel that it’s as well written as well you performed it and taken it to a different level’. I told her that ‘On paper, I didn’t feel that it’s as well written as well you performed it and you’ve taken it to a different level’. If you notice, in the beginning, Ajay sir and Jyotika ma’am’s characters don’t have many lines. But they expressed through their eyes. That’s what great actors can do on the sets.
Is there a possibility of Shaitaan 2?
Fingers crossed but I guess everyone is already talking about it. Kumar ji (producer Kumar Mangat Pathak) has said it. There’s an idea that has been cracked. It’s a brilliant idea. It’s too early to comment on it though.
You have also written Akshay Kumar’s upcoming film, Skyforce…
I’ve worked on its additional screenplay and dialogues. I was involved from the beginning with this film and I’m very excited about it. Sandeep bhai (Kewlani) took me along to narrate the idea to Akshay sir and Dinesh sir (producer Dinesh Vijan). It’s too early to talk about it. But I can say that it’s different from the rest of the films being made on this topic. I am very curious how people react to it once it is released.
You have mentioned in your bio that you are working on a film called PPW 2. Which film is this? What’s the full form?
I can’t comment on it. If I could, I have given out the full name (laughs). But it’s my first comedy and I am very happy about it. I used to be a stand-up comedian. I had even cracked into ‘The Great Indian Laughter Challenge’. Besides this film, I am also working on a horror thriller. There are 7-8 projects in the pipeline.
Also Read: Shaitaan given midnight shows throughout Mumbai, get filled fast
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