October 22, 2010 (Sampurn Wire): Director: Jennifer Lynch

Starring: Mallika Sherawat, Divya Dutta, Priyanka Rawat, Irrfan Khan, Jeff Doucette

Rating: **

Mallika Sherawat is all set to sizzle the screen in the iteration a snake goddess. Most Indians have grown up on a large overdose of nagin films but Hisss is going to change the audiences perception about the much explored genre. The new movie provides a unique take on the story of the ichhadhari nagin (played by mallika Sherawat).

The story goes like this; in a forbidden forest inland from the Malabar Coast there is a mysterious temple dedicated to the snake goddess. Legend goes that villagers from the surrounding areas need to pay respect to the cobra-goddess or else they will be cursed with bad luck and infertility. One day an American scientist (jeff Doucette) comes to this place looking for the King Cobras. The evil mastermind manages to catch the male cobra with his hi-tech gear and takes it back to his lab for testing. This incident draws the ire of the cobra goddess (Mallika) who embarks on a killing spree.

Anyone comes in her path gets bitten, eaten and mutilated in ways that will shock and awe the audience. Irrfan Khan plays the role of a detective who is investigating the mysterious murders. Irrfan plays the role of the cop to perfection but somewhere you will feel that the role did not utilize his acting capability to its full potential.

Mallika Sherawat, on the other hand, plays the role of an angry snake woman with perfection. She dances and kills with equal panache and there is not a single dull moment in the film. The high amount of blood and gore makes it unsuitable for family viewership. The USP of the film happens to be the super-toned body of Mallika Sherawat. Mallika looks stunning in the film and although she is pretty convincing as a snake womans sometimes her acting goes a little overboard. Irrfan is the perfect anchor to the film and keeps it grounded to reality.

The music by Alexander Von Bubenheim provides a spine-chilling backdrop to the horror flick. If you want to see a horror flick with generous doses of Mallikas curves then Hisss is the perfect movie for you.

--Sampurn Wire