Though Vash Level 2 doesn't deliver an absolute knock-out experience we would expect from a horror sequel, it has got enough zing to keep the franchise hurtling forward, applauds Mayur Sanap.
A successful film title pretty much ensures that a sequel will be released soon. In many ways, that's a safe bet.
Thankfully, Vash Level 2 -- a follow-up to the 2023 Gujarati film Vash that transpired a Hindi remake Shaitaan -- doest do film sequelry just for sake of it but presents a genuine continuation to the lore.
If the first one was about vashikaran (dark spell) and a family in peril, this new one is about more such diabolism with a well thought-out expansion.
Janki Bodiwala and Hitu Kanodia return as Aarya and her father Atharva.
The story has moved 12 years ahead.
Arya is still reeling in the aftermath of Pratap's (Hiten Kumar) spell, as she lingers in a brain-dead state.
A chaotic situation unfolds when a group of schoolgirls come under a spell of a mysterious man (Hiten Kumar, in a dual role), who is on a mission to find Pratap.
Atharva, who has secretly locked up Pratap in his house, is forced to come out and face this new reign of terror.
The film expects you to know the events from the predecessor (not Shaitaan, which has a sanitised ending).
The drama sucks you into the unsettling journey as disturbing events unfold at relentless pace.
The sight of little schoolgirls in uniform turning into terrifying, all-consuming possessed entities is a wild idea on paper.
These characters are either killing or getting killed brutally.
Returning director Krishnadev Yagnik doesn't shy away from gore and cruelty, and steers the story with effective chills and thrills. Some of the most terrifying scenes, including a school terrace sequence racks up the tension, and keeps you invested and engaged to a point that you barely focus on the whys and hows.
Some bad CGI aside, the camerawork and sound design (though always on the louder side) set up the suffocating environment well.
The latter half is where the cracks in the story start to appear and the film becomes increasingly less exciting due to diminishing results.
If Vash took some bold moves with its conclusion, this one ends with a whimper by playing safe.
The curse of the second half is real with this one!
Hiten Kumar's sociopathic rage is disturbing and instantly gripping, but by the time we reach the conclusion, his expository dialogues robs his character off of any real dread.
Janki Bodiwala (who won a National Award for her performance in the original) doesn't get the same canvas as the earlier film, but her presence looms large.
She gets one big moment towards the climax that provides the necessary dramatic thrust to the story.
She is complimented by Hitu Kanodia, who is especially effective as emotionally tormented father.
A couple of emotionally charged moments shared between him and Janki allow some breathing spaces to the otherwise fast-paced story.
Amidst the films that mistake great length for epic stature, Vash Level 2 keeps the pace well under two hours. And even though it doesn't deliver an absolute knock-out experience we would expect from a horror sequel, it has got enough zing to keep the franchise hurtling forward.
And maybe that is the film's success.
Vash Level 2 Review Rediff Rating: 
© 2025