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Timeline

Saithan (2016) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Release, runtime and language
2016 · 124 mins · Tamil
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Directed by
Pradeep Krishnamoorthy
Starring
Kitty, Charu Haasan, Remya Nambeesan, Y. G. Mahendran, Meera Krishnan, Aadukalam Murugadoss

A software engineer starts hearing a voice inside his head that tells him to go in search of a woman named Jayalakshmi and murder her!

On this page (5)
  1. 1 Where to watch
  2. 2 Events in order (12)
  3. 3 Timeline questions answered
  4. 4 Movie threads
  5. 5 Every angle
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12 events in order · contains spoilers

Saithan Timeline: Events in Chronological Order

Every key event of Saithan (2016) in order, scene by scene, with when and where it takes place. Use it to untangle flashbacks, time jumps and parallel storylines, to refresh your memory before the sequel or to find the exact scene you are thinking of.

  1. Therapy begins with a hypnotic doorway

    Dinesh and his boss visit psychiatrist Kitty seeking relief from a persistent voice. Kitty hypnotizes him during a private session, and the memories begin to fracture his present. The hypnotic doorway hints at deeper trauma that will pull his life apart in the days ahead.

    Where
    Psychiatrist's clinic
  2. Marital bliss shattered by creeping voices

    After a blissful honeymoon, Dinesh marries Aishwarya. The voices intensify, and reality begins to blur with memory, eroding the happiness of their new life. He starts questioning what is real and what is remembered.

    Where
    Dinesh and Aishwarya's home
  3. Ravi's death and Dinesh's guilt

    Ravi, Dinesh's best friend, dies in a horrific car accident that is seeded by Dinesh's own actions. The crash leaves Ravi dead and Dinesh overwhelmed by guilt and fear. The tragedy marks the first toll of the voices on his life.

    Where
    Road accident site
  4. Prostitute’s place and a push toward danger

    Dinesh wanders into a prostitute's place, where Jayalakshmi is waiting. The voices urge him to harm her, but bystanders intervene and pull him back from the brink. He returns to a world that already feels unreal and unsafe.

    Where
    Prostitute's place (Jayalakshmi's)
  5. Root memory uncovered in clinic

    Back in the psychiatrist's care, the doctor pushes Dinesh to the root of the trouble: a hypnotic recall of events from when he was ten. The voices grow louder, urging him toward death. When the treatment ends, the doctor warns him not to wander alone and notes that the memories may belong to a past life.

    Where
    Clinic / hospital
  6. Flight to a distant village for answers

    Dinesh flees to a distant village, boarding a train in search of answers. He hires an auto to help uncover a hidden history and begins to piece together a portrait of Sharma, a bachelor who adopted a boy named Gopal and later married Jayalakshmi.

    Where
    Train to a distant village
  7. A family portrait and a tangled entry

    In the village, Dinesh discovers a striking image: Sharma, Gopal, and Jayalakshmi together, with the baby born to their union. Nataraj enters the community, weaving into the tangled tale. The baby seems to inherit Sharma's legacy, fueling village talk about love and care.

    Where
    Village
  8. Confrontation and tragedy in the village

    A confrontation with Nataraj culminates in tragedy: Sharma rushes out, the baby topples, and tragedy follows. Jayalakshmi vanishes, and weeks later Sharma and Gopal are found dead on a riverbank while Jayalakshmi and Nataraj disappear. The case is closed with no clear answers.

    Where
    Village and riverbank
  9. Forgiveness and vengeance from memory

    Unknown to everyone, Jayalakshmi returns seeking forgiveness and Sharma, inhabiting Dinesh's body, forgives her. The forgiveness is short-lived as Jayalakshmi feeds Sharma poison-laced food, and Nataraj and Jayalakshmi kill him and Gopal for the child's death. They abandon the bodies and vanish again.

    Where
    Village home
  10. Dinesh awakes in a mental asylum

    Dinesh wakes up inside a mental asylum. Aishwarya visits with care, but Sharma's soul in Dinesh's body lunges at her, revealing the depth of the possession. He is sedated again as days blur into a haze of therapy and revolt.

    Where
    Mental asylum
  11. Drug operation exposed and motives revealed

    Aishwarya's true motives unfold as a letter arrives and Thomas calls to retrieve evidence stolen from a guest house. The gang reveals that Aishwarya married Dinesh to test a drug on him and that she is connected to a larger drug operation; she herself is a prostitute. Under the drug's influence, Dinesh confronts attackers, and Sharma's power surges, leaving him vulnerable as he fights for their fragile bond.

    Where
    Guest house / drug operation facility
  12. The memory twist and the birth of a new father

    A visitor arrives with a 50-year-old photograph revealing Sharma with another woman who died long ago. The memory shows that Jayalakshmi was not his wife but another woman, and Sharma never avenged that love. With the memory clarified, Sharma steps away from Dinesh's body, and Dinesh prepares to become a father once more.

    Where
    House

Last updated: October 03, 2025 at 06:46

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Timeline questions answered

Saithan Timeline Explained: Your Questions Answered

When does it happen, and why in that order? The questions people ask about the chronology of Saithan (2016): time jumps, flashbacks, cause and effect between scenes and the correct order of events, each answered with spoilers.

Q1

Why does Dinesh start hearing a voice inside his head?

The voice Dinesh hears is actually the spirit of Sharma, a man from a past life. When Aishwarya tests a drug on Dinesh as part of a larger conspiracy, it awakens suppressed memories of his past life. Sharma's soul has been seeking vengeance and uses Dinesh's body to pursue justice for wrongs committed against him centuries ago.

Foreshadowing: The psychiatrist hints early on that the memories may belong to a past life when he warns Dinesh not to wander alone.

  • voice in head
  • sharma spirit
  • past life possession
  • psychic voice
Q2

Who is Sharma and what is his connection to Dinesh?

Sharma is the past life identity of Dinesh. Centuries ago, Sharma was a respected bachelor in a village who adopted a boy named Gopal, married a woman named Jayalakshmi, and had a child. After a tragic confrontation where his child died, Sharma and Gopal were murdered by Jayalakshmi and her accomplice Nataraj. Sharma's unresolved spirit has been reincarnated in Dinesh's body, seeking answers and closure.

  • sharma past life
  • dinesh reincarnation
  • village history
  • gopal adoption
Q3

Why did Aishwarya marry Dinesh?

Aishwarya married Dinesh not out of love but as part of a drug operation. She was recruited by a gang to test an experimental drug on Dinesh. The drug was designed to awaken hidden memories, and the marriage was a cover to get close to him. However, during the course of their relationship, Aishwarya genuinely developed feelings for Dinesh.

Foreshadowing: The early scenes show Aishwarya as an orphan from a matrimonial site, establishing her convenient backstory.

  • aishwarya marriage
  • drug test
  • deception
  • conspiracy
Q4

What happens to Ravi and why does Dinesh feel guilty?

Ravi, Dinesh's best friend, dies in a car accident that Dinesh inadvertently causes. While under the influence of the voices and the drug, Dinesh's erratic driving behavior leads to the crash that kills Ravi. This tragedy marks the first major toll that the awakening past life memories take on Dinesh's present reality, leaving him consumed with guilt.

Foreshadowing: The voices intensify after Dinesh's honeymoon, foreshadowing his deteriorating mental state.

  • ravi death
  • car accident
  • guilt
  • dinesh best friend
Q5

Why does Dinesh try to attack Jayalakshmi the prostitute?

Dinesh is being controlled by Sharma's spirit, which remembers the betrayal and murder at the hands of Jayalakshmi in the past life. When Dinesh encounters the prostitute (also named Jayalakshmi), Sharma's vengeful memories take over, compelling him to harm her as he seeks revenge for his past death.

Foreshadowing: The voices grow louder and more insistent, commanding Dinesh toward violence.

  • jayalakshmi attack
  • prostitute
  • sharma revenge
  • possession
Q6

Who killed Sharma and Gopal in the past?

In Sharma's past life, he and the adopted boy Gopal were murdered by Jayalakshmi (Sharma's wife) and her accomplice Nataraj. After their child's death in a confrontation, Jayalakshmi returned to seek forgiveness but then poisoned Sharma and helped Nataraj kill both him and Gopal. They abandoned the bodies and fled, leaving the case unsolved.

Foreshadowing: The village confrontation scene shows the baby toppling and sets the tragedy in motion.

  • sharma murder
  • gopal death
  • jayalakshmi poison
  • nataraj killer
Q7

What is the drug that Aishwarya gives Dinesh?

The drug Aishwarya tests on Dinesh is an experimental chemical designed to unlock hidden memories. When administered, it acts as a powerful trigger that awakens Dinesh's past life memories, allowing Sharma's consciousness to surface and eventually possess Dinesh's body. The drug heightens Sharma's power and control over Dinesh.

Foreshadowing: Thomas reveals the drug operation early, connecting the scientific element to the supernatural events.

  • drug experiment
  • memory awakening
  • chemical trigger
  • consciousness transfer
Q8

Who is the woman in the 50-year-old photograph that Dinesh discovers?

The woman in the photograph is revealed to be a different Jayalakshmi, the true love of Sharma's past life who died long before Sharma married the other Jayalakshmi. This earlier Jayalakshmi is the woman Sharma truly loved and never got to avenge. The Jayalakshmi who married Sharma was a different woman entirely, leading to the murder.

Foreshadowing: The visitor brings the photograph revealing Sharma with another woman, not his wife.

  • photograph truth
  • jayalakshmi identity
  • past love
  • sharma wife
Q9

How does the movie end and what happens to Dinesh?

The movie ends with Sharma's spirit finally finding clarity and choosing to leave Dinesh's body. After discovering the truth about the first Jayalakshmi, Sharma achieves closure and departs. Dinesh awakens to face the future as a father, with Aishwarya having left but having genuinely come to care for him. The ending offers a bittersweet chance at redemption and new life despite the psychological trauma.

Foreshadowing: The psychiatrist's warning about past life memories sets up the resolution.

  • movie ending
  • dinesh rebirth
  • new life
  • fatherhood hope
Q10

Why does Dinesh travel to the distant village?

Dinesh flees to the village because the voices and memories are pulling him toward his past. Under hypnosis and driven by Sharma's spirit, he heads to the village where his past life unfolded to uncover the truth about who he was and what happened to Sharma, Jayalakshmi, Gopal, and Nataraj.

Foreshadowing: The therapy sessions constantly push Dinesh toward his childhood memories and deeper roots.

  • village journey
  • search answers
  • past life investigation
  • auto driver
Q11

What happens to Aishwarya at the end of the movie?

Aishwarya leaves Dinesh after the truth about her involvement in the drug operation is exposed. Though she was initially part of the conspiracy to test the drug on Dinesh, she developed genuine feelings for him during their marriage. She disappears after the confrontation, leaving a letter, but her final revelation that she is pregnant suggests she may return or at least maintains a connection to Dinesh's future.

Foreshadowing: Aishwarya's visit to the asylum shows genuine care, hinting at her conflicted feelings.

  • aishwarya leaves
  • drug operation exposed
  • pregnancy reveal

Movie threads

More Movies Like Saithan, by Mood & Story

Curated lists built around what makes Saithan tick: the same mood, the same kind of story or the same emotional payoff. Each list explains why these movies belong together.

Movies about psychological identity crisis like Saithan

Protagonists who can no longer trust their own minds or memories. If you were fascinated by the psychological unraveling in Saithan, this thread gathers movies where protagonists face a severe identity crisis. These films explore similar themes of memory manipulation, paranoid delusions, and the terrifying question of whether one's own mind can be trusted.

  • unsettling
  • paranoid
  • claustrophobic
  • psychological
  • anxious
  • identity crisis
  • Tone: dark, unsettling, paranoid
  • Pacing: variable, investigative
Why these movies?

The story pattern: These narratives typically follow a character who discovers that their life, relationships, or memories are not what they seem. An external force—be it a manipulative person, a supernatural entity, or a traumatic revelation—pushes them to question their very identity, often leading to a desperate search for the truth amidst increasing psychological distress.

Why they belong together: These films are grouped together because they share a core focus on the disintegration of the self. They create a deeply unsettling and claustrophobic mood by trapping the audience within the protagonist's unreliable perspective, using similar tones of psychological dread and narrative complexity.

Supernatural possession thrillers similar to Saithan

Stories where a malevolent force invades the mind, commanding dark deeds. For viewers who enjoyed the internal battle against a commanding voice in Saithan, this collection features movies with similar supernatural possession themes. These stories focus on psychological horror where a character is haunted or controlled by an internal entity, blurring the lines between mental illness and supernatural forces.

  • supernatural
  • possession
  • vengeful
  • melancholic
  • somber
  • commanding voice
  • Tone: dark, intense, melancholic
  • Pacing: variable, with bursts of action
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative pattern involves a character who becomes a vessel for a supernatural force, which may be tied to a tragic past or a quest for revenge. The story unfolds as the host struggles to resist the entity's commands, leading to a climactic confrontation where the truth of the possession is revealed, often with heavy emotional consequences.

Why they belong together: These movies are united by the specific trope of an internal, supernatural threat that manifests as voices or compulsions. They share a high-tension, dark tone and explore themes of lost agency, past trauma, and the horror of being controlled by an unseen force, creating a coherent and intense viewing experience.

Every angle

Saithan (2016) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

Everything about Saithan in one place: what happens in the plot summary, the timeline in chronological order, the characters and meaning and a spoiler-free summary. What's After the Movie adds the cast, box office and post-credit scenes.

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