Vash Level 2 Movie Review | Anupama Chopra | THR India

In this review, film critic Anupama Chopra examines "Vash Level 2," the sequel to writer-director Krishnadev Yagnik's 2023 film "Vash," which was remade in Hindi as "Shaitaan." Set in a girls' school on the outskirts of Ahmedabad, the film explores the dark art of Vashikaran where food becomes a tool for mind control, turning teenage students into weapons of mass destruction under the command of a sinister stranger played by Hiten Kumar. Anupama notes how Krishnadev efficiently uses the school's ordinary surroundings - hallways and grounds - to build suspense, while the story centers on Atharva, played by Hitu Kanodia, who understands this malevolent power having witnessed his daughter Aarya, played by National Award winner Janki Bodiwala, fall victim to similar possession twelve years earlier.

While praising the film's terrific horror elements and visual storytelling that takes place primarily in two locations - the school and Atharva's home - Anupama highlights the complex themes woven throughout the narrative. She notes the ironic empowerment the controlled girls experience as they run through the city like a pack of wolves, no longer constrained by typical fears, yet emphasizes that this strength comes without choice, with men still ultimately in control. Anupama particularly commends Hitu's cool, clinical performance that makes his eventual emotional breakdown deeply moving, and Janki's impactful presence despite limited screen time as a smiling, catatonic victim. She concludes that the film is brimming with dread and sadness, with haunting imagery like girls lined up on a school terrace ready to jump, creating a powerful commentary about women in the country.