Be it the kind of films that she chooses or the repartees in her speeches, Mallika Sherawat has always stood out. She has established a name of herself, not just in India but abroad too. There are no two ways about it. It's been a while since we saw her charming us on the big screen. Her last film was MAAN GAYE MUGHAL-E-AZAM, way back in 2008, which didn't really work well. So, the expectations are certainly high from HISSS.
We've heard a lot about the Naag-Nagin belief from the Indian mythology. It's been a super success formula in our films too. Rajkumar Kohli's NAGIN (1976) and Harmesh Malhotra's NAGINA (1986), starring Reena Roy and Sridevi respectively, enthralled the audiences and were stupendous hits. Just when we thought they have become extinct from Bollywood, director Jennifer Lynch has come up with her version of the popular tale. It's a film which uses modern technology for its special effects, but involves a dated narrative. Lynch had an excellent opportunity to revive the tale with an actress like Mallika, but she fails.
Mallika Sherawat plays the Icchadhari Nagin who has been estranged from her partner by a foreigner named George (Jeff Doucette). He's dying of cancer and believes he can be immortal by the nagmani that the nagin possesses. So, he kidnaps her partner with the hope of exchanging him with the nagmani. Also, the nagin is not entirely malicious. She uses her powers to help anguished women while searching for her partner.
The special effects are good at times, but they seldom help to elevate the inane script. It's amusing to see Mallika turning from a mammoth nagin to a beautiful woman with full make-up and vice-versa. Then she's also making out with a snake, which is cringe worthy. Even the climax is obscure, leaving behind many unanswered questions. The editing is so incoherent that it seems all the scenes are haphazardly put together. If that was not enough, the black outs between scenes are a deterrent.
Throughout the narrative, you eagerly wait to hear at lest a few lines from Mallika but she doesn't mouth a single dialogue. On second thoughts, it wasn't actually required. Her job was to look appealing as the snake women, which she does effectively. You can see the confused 'what am I doing in this film?' expression on (investigating officer Vikram) Irrfan's face on many occasions. Divya Dutta doesn't have much scope.
Rating: 1.5/5
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