Mallika Sherawat's Hisss costume

Then there is the problem of locomotion. Remember we said when Mallika Sherawat dons her snake suits, she is practically immobile unless she takes to dragging herself around the floor? It’s even worse in the jungles, where the mud, slime, and worms makes you feel pretty trapped.

Mallika Sherawat’s Hisss hooded snakesuit in the movie is lumbering and cumbersome. Considering Mallika’s snake woman can swallow humans whole, Jennifer Lynch wanted her snake suit to look huge.

Mallika Sherawat has to don the huge snakesuit for hours, and she can’t even go to the loo for 10 hours at a stretch. Besides, the jungle is full of leeches, and the unit has its work cut out in taking them out.

In Hisss, Mallika is not supposed to utter a word. Because she is a snake, she is not supposed to understand the human language. This is quite a change from other Indian snake movies, where the
snake women not only speak the human language, but are very often bilingual, and even manage to speak fluently in colloquial local languages!

Reports say Mallika celebrated her 31st birthday in the jungle. The crew members threw a party for her and got her a cake made of vegetables and nuts, since Mallika is very fitness conscious. Hisss revolves around a snake woman out for revenge. The movie is directed by Jennifer Lynch, with special effects by renowned make-up and special-effects artist Robert Kurtzman. Kurtzman has worked on Quentin Tarantino, Sam Raimi, and Robert Rodriguez movies.

Hisss is being shot in Chennai, Kerala, and Mumbai. The movie will be released in 2009. Mallika Sherawat will be seen next in Fauj Mein Mauj, although there are rumors that the movie has been shelved. The grapevine also says that Mallika will play the role of south siren Silk Smitha in a biopic on the tragic life of the depressive actress who committed suicide in 1996.

Photo: Mallika Sherawat's look in Nagin

Does not augur well for Hisss on the face of it. But, Hisss‘ costume, make-up, and special effects teasers have generated a lot of interest. You can see from the pictures here that this is not your standard Ramsay, or even Ramu (The Factory) horror film. Costume quality and makeup in the Hiss arfe definitely on Hollywood standards. We hold our judgement though on that ridiculous name Hisss – who chose that, some assistant director to the Ramseys?

The producers, Vikram Singh and Govind Menon, have roped in Robert Kurtzman, known for his expertise in make-up, special effects, and visual effects. Kurtzman has won the Saturn award in 1999, for make-up in the movie Vampires.

Mallika Sherawat

Mallika Sherawat is best known as the hottest bod in Bollywood. Mallika Sherawat was last seen in Maan Gaye Mughal-e-azam and Ugly aur Pagli, both of which were box-office disasters. She has also acted in The Myth with Jackie Chan.

Mallika Sherawat’s look has been crafted quite painstakingly in Hisss. In the movie, Mallika Sherawat has to wear huge contact lenses that even cover the white of her eyes. Mallika Sherawat has to take out the lenses every few hours to let her eyes breathe. The elaborate nagin elaborate costume has to be kept on for 8-10 hours at a stretch, and she has to be carried around.

Mallika cannot drink water or go to the loo during those 8-10 hours.

Photo: Mallika Sherawat in her Nagin avatar in Hisss

Mallika Sherawat was first noticed in Khwahish (2003), a movie that became famous for its seventeen kisses. The hero was forgotten, Mallika was both appreciated and condemned for her “boldness,” depending on which side of the fence you are on. Mallika Sherawat refused to apologise for her sexy image, rather she reveled in it.

Next came the 2004 Murder, which was a runaway hit. Mallika Sherawat played the role of a woman who has an extramarital affair.

All through her career, Mallika Sherawat has courted controversy because of her outspoken comments on sexuality.

Mallika Sherawat’s last hit has been Pyaar Ke Side Effects, a multiplex movie that did quite well, and gave her an opportunity to shed her sexy image.

Mallika Sherawat does not have any other films in her kitty right now, except the recently announced Unveiled. The other movie she was supposed to apppear in, Fauj Mein Mauj, has been shelved. Hisss is very important to Mallika’s career, in that sense.

Hisss revolves around a vengeful nagin (Mallika Sherawat), who shape shifts into a gorgeous woman and goes to the city to hunt for her mate, who has been captured from the jungle by an American, George States. Hisss also stars Irfan Khan who plays a cop who has to track her down to stop the destruction she unleashes in the city.

The vengeful nagin theme has been very popular in Indian cinema, with more than a dozen movies made on snakewomen, between 1925 and 1990. What is common among all the Nagin movies is the horrendous make-up and equally terrible special effects.

With good production values, Hisss might actually do justice to the tired theme. The last woman to play a Nagin in Bollywood was the sumptuous Sridevi in Nagina (1986). Nagina was a huge hit and even had a sequel.

Hisss will be released in 2009.