Last night, I watched Mahakaal: The Monster, the Bollywood take on A Nightmare on Elm Street. It is long, silly, completely tame, needlessly musical (sadly, Mahakaal, the Indian Freddy, does not share in the singing and dancing) and features a Michael Jackson impersonator. There are some scenes uploaded on YouTube to give you an idea of how closely this apes specific Elm Street plot points, as well as how bootleg the Bollywood Freddy knock-off looks. The scene embedded below is the one I love the most, for the sheer physicality of it. This woman would unsettle the evil dead.
I can't figure out if this is better with or without sound. Anyway, most of the movie is as hilariously shoddy as this scene. It's little more than a fun novelty.
What can't be dismissed so easily, though, is the fashion throughout the film. It is entirely stellar. Between the globby eyeliner, fluffy hair, day-glo colors, moose-knuckling jeans and high-waisted denim skirts, watching this felt like going home. Literally -- India in 1988 (when this film began shooting, though it wouldn't be released till five years later) looked a lot like Jersey at that time, if Mahakaal: The Monster is to be believed (and, duh, of course you can trust Mahakaal: The Monster. The name and entire production just screams authority). Seriously, this is some straight-up Dance Party USA shit.
A sampling of the gorgeous styling is presented below. Enjoy.
Oh, and this guy doesn't look like he's from Jersey...
...but he's obviously still awesome. It takes a lot to stick out in a movie like this, and I commend this one for stepping up to the challenge (and not shaving).
After going over these shots, "Hooked on You" is stuck in my head. Nostalgia by proxy is still nostalgia, just like hairspray from a pump is still hairspray.
Wow, sounds like an interesting movie. Think I'll have to youtube it to see. I'm a sucker for old horror movie remakes!
Posted by: Myspace Profile Not Relevant | October 20, 2009 at 03:42 PM
Did Sadam Hussein just get stabbed by Freddie's glove?
Posted by: dirty blonde | October 20, 2009 at 04:08 PM
Yay! I looove Bollywood films, especially campy ones. Definitely gonna get this one.
Posted by: Wookie | October 20, 2009 at 09:37 PM
So good!
When I was a kid, my parents wouldn't let me watch Nightmare on Elm Street but they were totally OK with Mahakaal -- they figured it was more kid-friendly. As a result, some people are really into Freddy and I'm really into Archana Puran Singh. She's exquisite:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5WmQxZCzIU
Posted by: Currylingus | October 21, 2009 at 08:24 AM
Exquisite fashion! But how can that guy kick that high in those jeans. I was waiting for them to rip in the still shot.
Posted by: Abrego | October 21, 2009 at 10:03 AM
Yup. Staten Island, 1989. I'm pretty sure I remember my parents sporting some similar outfits back in the day...
Posted by: Lola | October 22, 2009 at 07:54 PM
Is it 16 hours long like The Fog, which is the Bollywood I Know What You Did Last Summer?
Posted by: Jamie | October 23, 2009 at 01:20 PM
Oh wow, the Michael Jackson impersonator is Johnny Lever! He's actually still relatively well known as a comedian in India, I had no idea he did horror movies.
Posted by: Ren | October 24, 2009 at 01:30 AM
is that last picture of dr. zaius?
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