Masand: 'Hisss' is ridiculous and disgusting

Cast: Mallika Sherawat, Irrfan Khan, Divya Dutta

Director: Jennifer Lynch

If the sight of two snakes entwined, supposedly making love, doesn’t cause your stomach to churn, then the sight of Mallika Sherawat writhing on the floor with a snake between her legs most definitely will.

In Hisss, directed by Jennifer Lynch, Mallika stars as a shape-shifting snake that’s been separated from her reptile lover by a crazy foreigner who’s seeking a naagmani that will cure his cancer. The outrageous plot involves this ichchadhari nagin emerging as something of a feminist superhero who comes to the rescue of various tormented women, even as she’s seeking out her kidnapped partner. Irrfan Khan plays the cop investigating a series of mysterious killings, and Divya Dutta his wife.

Hisss has a distinct B-movie feel to it, and the special effects scenes of Mallika turning into a snake are more comical than jaw-dropping. The film is haphazardly edited, and appears to be assembled out of incomplete footage.

In the role of the shape-shifting snake, Mallika has no dialogues at all, which may not necessarily be a bad thing. The film relies squarely on her ability to look sexy as she switches forms, and the actress shows much bare flesh in the process. Irrfan Khan looks positively uncomfortable in this ridiculous film, and the only time you smile is when the end credits appear.

I’m going with one out of five for Hisss. At 90 minutes it’s mercifully short, but watch it only if you’re not easily disgusted.

Rating: 1 / 5

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