# Saithan (சைத்தான்)
**Saithan** (சைத்தான்) is a 2016 Tamil-language psychological thriller film directed by Pradeep Krishnamoorthy, starring [Vijay Antony](https://www.edgepedia.org/vijay-antony) and Arundhathi Nair, in which a software engineer begins hearing a voice in his head that orders him to find and murder a woman named Jayalakshmi.[1](https://www.moviebuff.com/saithan) It was released on 1 December 2016 in India, the [United Arab Emirates](https://www.edgepedia.org/united-arab-emirates), and Malaysia, runs 2 hours and 4 minutes, and was certified U/A in India.[1](https://www.moviebuff.com/saithan) The film was loosely inspired by the late writer Sujatha's novel *Aaaah*.[2](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movie-reviews/saithan/movie-review/55724141.cms)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Release | 1 December 2016, wide theatrical release in India, UAE, and Malaysia[1](https://www.moviebuff.com/saithan) |
| Lead cast | Vijay Antony (Dinesh / Sharma) and Arundhathi Nair (Ishwarya / Jayalakshmi)[3](https://www.justwatch.com/in/movie/saithan) |
| Director | Pradeep Krishnamoorthy, in his debut feature[1](https://www.moviebuff.com/saithan) • [4](https://www.hindustantimes.com/movie-reviews/saithan-review-psychological-thriller-that-fails-to-thrill/story-uP4Y9n2nmB39VioTX7AsYI-amp.html) |
| Music | Composed by Vijay Antony; songs include "Ladukio", "Jayalakshmi", and "Yededho", released on Sony Music[1](https://www.moviebuff.com/saithan) |
| Other titles | Bhethaludu (Telugu); dubbed into Hindi as Shaitan[5](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/movie-review/saithan-movie-review-bethaludu-vijay-antony-two-disjointed-plots-one-big-failure-4404781/) • [1](https://www.moviebuff.com/saithan) |
| Runtime and rating | 2 hours 4 minutes; certified U/A in India[1](https://www.moviebuff.com/saithan) |
| Source novel | Loosely adapted from Sujatha Rangarajan's Tamil novel *Aaaah*[2](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movie-reviews/saithan/movie-review/55724141.cms) |
## Spoilers
### Plot
The film follows Dinesh (Vijay Antony), a software engineer with a promising career and a newlywed wife, Aishwarya (Arundhathi Nair). Soon after his marriage he begins hearing a voice in his head that tells him to go and murder a mystery woman named Jayalakshmi, and he consults a psychiatrist, Shanmugam (Kitty). The voice tells him that Jayalakshmi murdered him in his previous birth, when he was Sharma, a schoolteacher in Tanjore, and urges him to avenge that crime.[2](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movie-reviews/saithan/movie-review/55724141.cms)
Dinesh travels to Tanjore to learn more about Sharma and Jayalakshmi, and is shocked to find that Jayalakshmi looks exactly like his wife.[2](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movie-reviews/saithan/movie-review/55724141.cms) According to reviews, the story then connects the past-life premise to a criminal network conducting illegal drug trials on humans, with the second half shifting from the supernatural mystery toward a conventional action climax.[5](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/movie-review/saithan-movie-review-bethaludu-vijay-antony-two-disjointed-plots-one-big-failure-4404781/) • [6](https://tamil.samayam.com/tamil-cinema/movie-review/saithan-movie-review/moviereview/55288216.cms)
## Production and reception
Pradeep Krishnamoorthy wrote and directed the film as his debut; Vijay Antony also composed the music and produced it through his banner, with Fathima Vijay Antony as producer and Aura Cinemas among the distributors.[1](https://www.moviebuff.com/saithan) The supporting cast includes veteran actors Y Gee Mahendra, Charuhasan, and Kitty, along with Aadukalam Murugadoss, Meera Krishnan, and Siddhartha Shankar.[2](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movie-reviews/saithan/movie-review/55724141.cms) • [3](https://www.justwatch.com/in/movie/saithan)
Critic reception was mixed. The Times of India gave it 3.5 out of 5, writing that for about two thirds of its runtime the director treats it like a psychological horror film with mood-building and solid production values, but that the film weakens when the mystery is resolved through caricaturish antagonists, over-the-top stunts, and rushed revelations.[2](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movie-reviews/saithan/movie-review/55724141.cms) [The Indian Express](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-indian-express) gave it 2 out of 5, judging that the narrative builds momentum at first but falters midway when it jumps from a past-life crisis to a corrupt doctor's illegal human drug trials.[5](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/movie-review/saithan-movie-review-bethaludu-vijay-antony-two-disjointed-plots-one-big-failure-4404781/) [Hindustan Times](https://www.edgepedia.org/hindustan-times) also rated it 2 out of 5, calling it a psychological thriller that fails to thrill.[4](https://www.hindustantimes.com/movie-reviews/saithan-review-psychological-thriller-that-fails-to-thrill/story-uP4Y9n2nmB39VioTX7AsYI-amp.html) Samayam Tamil rated it 2.5 out of 5 while crediting the unpredictable climax and suspense as the film's strengths.[6](https://tamil.samayam.com/tamil-cinema/movie-review/saithan-movie-review/moviereview/55288216.cms)
## Legacy
The film is noted for combining past-life regression with mind-altering drugs and revenge, a premise the Times of India compares to the 2015 film *Anegan*, which involved the same elements and a hero of similar professional background.[2](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movie-reviews/saithan/movie-review/55724141.cms) Saithan is currently available for streaming on Zee5 in India, and holds an IMDb rating of 6.1 from about 957 user votes.[3](https://www.justwatch.com/in/movie/saithan)
## References
1. [Saithan (2016), Moviebuff](https://www.moviebuff.com/saithan)
2. [Saithan Movie Review {3.5/5}, M Suganth, The Times of India (1 December 2016)](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movie-reviews/saithan/movie-review/55724141.cms)
3. [Saithan (2016), JustWatch](https://www.justwatch.com/in/movie/saithan)
4. [Saithan review: Psychological thriller that fails to thrill, Gautaman Bhaskaran, Hindustan Times (1 December 2016)](https://www.hindustantimes.com/movie-reviews/saithan-review-psychological-thriller-that-fails-to-thrill/story-uP4Y9n2nmB39VioTX7AsYI-amp.html)
5. [Saithan movie review: Two disjointed plots, one big failure, Krishna Vamsi, The Indian Express (1 December 2016)](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/movie-review/saithan-movie-review-bethaludu-vijay-antony-two-disjointed-plots-one-big-failure-4404781/)
6. ['சைத்தான்' - திரை விமர்சனம், Samayam Tamil](https://tamil.samayam.com/tamil-cinema/movie-review/saithan-movie-review/moviereview/55288216.cms)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Individual films by title and year › Indian films (individual works) › Tamil films of the 2010s › Tamil action and thriller films of the 2010s › Titles L to T*
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