Vash - Level 2 - The Devil's Grip until the Writer's Slip

Vash - Level 2

Gujarati - Horror / Thriller
103 Mins
Netflix

Warning - If you are disturbed by psychological horror or teen violence - please avoid. 

The first fifteen minutes of Vash: Level 2 are among the most chilling sequences I have seen in Indian cinema.

The film opens on a regular morning in a girls’ school — parents dropping off their children, teachers filling in, latecomers waiting for the National Anthem to end before being allowed inside. The day proceeds with routine chatter over breakfast until, without warning, ten students follow a mysterious man to the terrace and prepare to jump.

For those who have watched Vash or its Hindi remake Shaitaan, the sinister art of Vashikaran (dark enchantment) comes to mind, signalling the arrival of a new demon. Soon, more students break free and unleash chaos on the streets violently attacking bystanders. 

The sense of helplessness is palpable — the panic of the principal, the desperation of teachers and parents, the confusion of an Inspector attempting to shout his way through the madness. One of the possessed girls steps forward and delivers a chilling message: someone must bring back Pratap, the sinister being from Vash and all this goes away.

It has been twelve years since the events of the first film. Atharva (Hitu Kanodia) is a broken man, but a devoted father caring for his daughter Aarya(Janki Bodiwala) who is barely whole. When news of the horrific events at the school reaches him, Atharva finds himself drawn once into a situation, he once escaped.

The first hour of the film is remarkable in the way it builds and sustains tension. Writer-director Krishnadev Yagnik, who also helmed Vash, creates an unrelenting and nerve wracking premise. The sound design is very good, silence frequently precedes chaos, and quiet dread gives way to piercing panic. The pacing throughout is immaculate. The visual language — subdued colours, expansive compositions, and patient, lingering takes — feels closer to a Korean psychological thriller than a regional Indian production.

Unfortunately, just as the film seems poised to reveal the “how” and “why” of its mystery, it loses momentum. The final thirty minutes feel rushed and underdeveloped, as if the creative team suddenly ran out of both time and conviction. 

A potentially clever twist is hinted - but is abandoned without resolution. It appears as though the film was hurried to completion, perhaps in anticipation of the competing Hindi sequel announcement.

Janki Bodiwala, is seen only briefly, but her sequence at the end is terrific. The lead actors resist overstatement and portray fear, confusion, despair and deviousness with conviction.

Despite its uneven ending, Vash: Level 2 is a worthy successor. The conclusion may falter, yet the journey leading up to it remains a gripping, atmospheric and unsettling experience.