Hisss Movie Review: Hisss: Pity Pity, Fang Fang!

'Chitty Chitty Bang Bang', the title of the 1968 winning flick based on the Ian Fleming bestseller, comes handy in being ably twisted to describe 'Hisss', the deadly (well, quite nerve numbing) saga served up by Mallika Sherawat. Quite a scaly proposition.

The 'icchadhari naagin' and her voracious appetite for revenge has always held a fascination for the Indian public and Bollywood has capitalised on it quite successfully in the past with 'Nagin' in the Seventies and 'Nagina' in the Eighties, both of which were hits at the box office. Hence, the buzz around 'Hisss', this being directed and produced by a Hollywood director, Jennifer Lynch, with our own Mallika Sherawat, has been quite strong.

Sadly, the film fails to live up to any of the 'desi naag naagin' stories and is absolutely lacklustre despite the presence of the sensuous Mallika, who fails to better Reena Roy and Sridevi in their respective 'naagin' acts. Of course, part of the problem also lies with the fact that the movie lacks the high voltage drama of Hindi movies and the mandatory snake song and dance.

Of course, the movie excels in special effects and the scenes which show Mallika as the 'naagin' shedding skin etc are quite fascinating. But it ends with that. What makes it even more pathetic is the sad state of the screenplay and dialogues, both lacking in imagination. Incidentally, all Mallika does in the movie is hisss!

The story of 'Hisss' is like all other 'naag naagin' stories about the revenge of an 'icchadhari naagin' on human beings as her mate is abducted and held captive by a white man who wants the precious 'mani' which is reportedly the only cure for cancer. George (Jeff Doucette) is the cruel abductor, who makes off with Mallika's mate from the jungles of India. The 'naagin' transforms into a woman (Mallika) who now ventures out into the civilised world from the jungle in search of her mate.

As she makes her way to her mate, she metes out justice to all wrongdoers, leaving behind a trail of dead bodies. Like the Anaconda of the West, she gobbles all the wrong doers, mostly male, alive, Vikram (Irrfan Khan), the cop, heads the investigations into these mysterious deaths.

On paper, the film's plot holds promise. But the execution is quite abysmal. The screenplay fails to build up any kind of tension or excitement and lacks colour. It is basically quite bland, after one gets over Mallika the snake transforming into Mallika the woman and back again. Or even Mallika slithering all over the ground and sliding down poles, or, if you are up to it, Mallika making out with another snake!

One can understand the Western fascination with all things Indian and exotic and the legend of the 'icchadhari naagin' is bound to excite the imagination. But Lynch is unable to come to grips with the story and what comes across is quite comic at times.

As for the cast, Mallika, like we said earlier, has nothing much to do in the film except to slither all around and hiss appropriately. Yes, she still manages to look hot, but that is about it. One wonders what she was doing in Hollywood for the last year or so, it surely couldn't have been spent in prep for this role!

As for Irrfan, he struggles manfully to try to come to terms with his role but for the most part, he looks confused and one only pities him. Divya Dutta, who plays his activist wife, is one of the bright spots in the movie. Doucette plays a weird character who mouths the typical Hindi spoken by 'goras' in Bollywood movies and is quite a laugh.

Actually, that is the problem with the movie. It doesn't hook the audiences and after the novelty of seeing Mallika in a rubber suit wears off, there is not much left to look forward to. With all due respect to the director and her serious intent, the film often has just the opposite impact on audiences.

Final verdict: 'Hisss' is a major letdown.