Shaitan Ka Pash: A Dusty, Strange Trip Back

Is it worth your time?

Honestly, that depends on your tolerance for static frames and dramatic pauses that last three business days. If you are a fan of silent-era curiosities or just love watching how acting styles have mutated over the last hundred years, you will probably dig this. If you need a fast-paced thriller to keep your brain from wandering off, stay far away.

The whole thing feels like it’s being held together by duct tape and sheer willpower. Jehanara Kajjan has this way of staring into the lens that makes you feel like she’s judging your life choices in real-time. It’s haunting, but maybe not in the way the director intended.

The Rhythm of the Thing

The dialogue cards pop up with this rhythmic, almost percussive thud in my head. There is a moment near the middle where Peerjaan is supposed to be expressing deep, earth-shattering betrayal, but the scene just hangs there. It’s like the film forgot to cut to the next shot, so we’re all just sitting there, watching him breathe.

It reminded me a bit of the awkwardness in The Chauffeur, where you can practically hear the director shouting instructions from behind the camera. Not that it ruins the experience! Actually, it kind of makes it better. It proves there were actual humans sweating and stumbling through this production.

Odd Observations

• There is a background prop—some kind of vase, I think—that seems to move two inches to the left every time the camera cuts away.
• The lighting is bizarrely uneven. One side of the screen looks like a sunny day, the other like a cave.
• I’m pretty sure someone in the background of the market scene is trying very hard not to laugh.

Watching this made me think about The House of Fear, mostly because both films share that same desperate desire to keep the tension cranked up, even when the plot is basically just people walking into rooms and looking shocked. It’s endearing, really. They didn't have the fancy bells and whistles, so they just leaned into the melodrama until it snapped.

Don't expect a masterpiece. Expect a time machine that’s slightly rusty and makes a weird noise when you start it. You’ll be glad you took the ride, even if you spend half the time confused about why anyone is doing anything at all. 🎞️