Dusssss Top snake films

My mother in law has come visiting. Despite being very modern and liberal she needs her dose of daily soap. Balika Vadhu playing since 2008 is A must for past 5-6 years though she insists its been only 3 years. Another soap saga she has been hooked to is ' Sasural Simar Ka' the current track of Ichadaari naagin' that made me think of the Bollywood obsession with snake stories of myths and revenge. 

The fight between snake and Nevala, snake and snake charmer, of snake and humans who want his naag mani, his poison, his skin. The mystical world of snakes which meets human folklore, of snake Gods and Godesses. Remember Meghnath was the son in law of snake God or something in Ramayan. 

So here is the list of popular Bollywood genre of snake charmers. It's an Indian mythological genre just the way Vampires and Santa is for west. 

1. Nagina and its part II Nigahein

They got to take the cake for the multiple  reasons. The blue eyed act of Ichadari Nagin Sri Devi, her slithery twisty dance, the heavy baritone villain of villains Amrish Puri, and the good over evil victory drama. What is there not to like. It's. Cult fiction in herself. Naag Devi may be we should have a comic on her grand daughter. In fact as kids we used to wonder if there will be a Part III, what if they make it with Jhanavi, but a spoof at least. 

2. Jaani Dushman

Come on you haven't seen this film. It probably ranks amongst the lowest of the low. With Arman Kohli as hero Ichadari snake, in love with the ghost of a girl who was his Ichadari female partner in previous birth, he has come to mate her, and she instead is raped and commits suicide by bad guys, as a misunderstanding the good guys get blamed and killed around till truth comes out and only a few heroes are left. From Akshay Kumar to Sunny Deol to Sunil Shetty to even Sonu Nigam were a part of this sifarashi film. And fat Manisha Koirala acts as the Ichadaari Nagin, girl raped and ghost to revenge. Apparently all the men in the movie want her. If this is not a cult film than what is. Take a bow! You can not get worse than this.  That's what happens with Daddy ka paisa. 

3. Nagin (1976)

This was probably a bad remake of 1976 multi starrer Naagin starring everyone and everyone in the film industry. Now who is the Directir who could achieve that. Raj Kumar Kohli of course it was the same guy. Insane enough to remake the revenge of female snake lady. 

That makes me wonder what is female snake called. Let's Google! What there is no name. This is complete cheating. It's cruel to not even acknowledge a female snake in an English language. That's where it fails. In india we have so many names - Naagin and Saanpin and Naagdevi. We should lend them a few! 

4. Sheshnaag 

Of course Rekha can be quiet a snake when she wants to. She does change skin a lot but she looks gorgeous always. Her onscreen persona and presence is belittling the other women in the room. The best poster phase of the Other woman. That's why we love and adore her. But here she does a double role of a ichadari Naagin and the abla nari who of course interchange their place. 

5. Vishkanya

If you haven't heard about this one you were not born before 80s. This was the usual time pass of our generation. Brothers built relationships with the video shop walk, to get priority over others to watch. They tempted you with the latest in market. If you had a video recorder you made copies and kept it circulated that copy amongst friends. We had Maine Pyaar Kiya, Lamhe and Mighty Mouse video tapes, my cousins had Tom and Jerry. We all had some and the exchange business continued till the video tapes started becoming redundant, dusty, pushed at the back of the shelf and drawers to storage and kabadi to hide away completely. In such times we had watched Vish Kanya the latest offering of The poisonous woman snake who can kill the man with a kiss. That's another myth of Indian diaspora and is quiet logical, if you first assume that Ichadari snakes are there then they of course can sting if you kiss. It was a summer holiday and in that heat to watch this sultry Naagin we kids were confused how to react to steamy scenes. Of course she is about to kiss him, that means he will die, so you just can't miss that part, but you equally feel awkward to watch it with your siblings, cousins and parents. Well that's Bollywood for you. But nothing harmless yet too much in the face.  

There have been more references to snake, the other 5 you can watch are - human transformation like the Holkywood to Bollywood experiment  Hiss with our very own Snaky Mallika Sherawat, Dhood ka Karz of Jackie Shroff and Tum Mere Ho of Aamir Khan and Juhi Chawla based on sapera i.e. Snake charmers community or the Anaconda series the entire world has been glued to. And if you get to watch it in the cinema hall do cry out snake snake a few times to get the crowd in a frenzy. It works! 

Snake films will be made even when aliens land on Earth. But hey even Aliens are a myth or is it.