Shaitani Dracula (1999)
Cast:  Shweta, Harinam Singh, Somiya, Jaya, Vivek, Kanhaiya, Shabnam, Pooja, Asha, Birbal
Director: Harinam Singh
Nutshell:  Dracula and Lady Dracula grapple for supremacy in this insane and totally bewildering epic from horror maestro Harinam Singh.

 

Decided to revisit Shaitani Dracula, which I had watched a few years ago. Still, it was difficult to recall the exact story of the film, as the plot was deeply complex and multi-layered, making it intellectually challenging for a viewer expecting just another Bollywood horror yarn.

Once again, within minutes, the mind is boggling and spinning, trying to make sense of all that unfolds on screen.

The film begins with a woman being ravaged by a seedy character on a sofa somewhere, then cuts to a dapper gentleman in a fancy black hat who announces that he is Dracula, the most powerful evil entity on earth. He declares that he is on the hunt for a partner who will provide him with thousands and thousands of Mini Draculas in the future, and that he is the sole, unmatched Prince of Darkness.

Dracula's luck seems to be in as a nubile, barely dressed young woman arrives at his doorstep on a dark, stormy night, asking for shelter. He senses an opportunity, sniffs fresh blood and tells her she is very welcome to shelter in his Haveli. Rubber teeth sprout in his mouth, and he is all prepped to transform this helpless creature into his Lady Dracula. He cackles profusely in delight at the mouthwatering prospect.

Seconds later, Dracula is seen floating in the air, his fangs now dispensed with. Following close behind him, also floating in the air, is his new Lady Dracula, who has sprouted a fresh set of fangs as well as a pair of polystyrene wings that enable her to glide in a most threatening manner. The mist floats about as Lady Dracula draws forward, clawing at the wind, wearing tiny short shorts and a minuscule brassiere, waving her arms menacingly. Dracula cackles while Lady Dracula giggles in the most evil Evil Dead-like manner. There is dread in the air, and the omens suggest the most horrendous nightmares are about to be unleashed by the diabolical duo.

Two older men wander casually through the area, hoping to encounter some amorous adventures. One complains to the other that he had promised they would have a "good time", but nothing has yet transpired. As they trudge along, they happen upon a skimpily dressed young beauty and serenade her with a few lines from a famous Bollywood song. Flirtatiously, she plays along with them before turning around to stun the old fogies with a horrible cut-price hag's mask bought at the local Dollar Shop.

Elsewhere in the forest, three other lecherous old men arrive in a jeep. As they disembark, another young semi-nude woman in the jungle is being menaced by a shadowy man. She defiantly demands to see his face, but he warns her that she should not dare to look upon the face of death as he closes in on her. Though you can't make him out clearly, it seems to be Dracula hunting for fresh blood.

At this point, in another corner of the jungle, a ravenous-looking hairy beast—a cross between a dog, a wolf and a bear—emerges from the undergrowth and heads towards the woman Dracula has just threatened. Initially on all fours, he straightens up, begins walking like a human and attacks the young woman. The beast appears to have fleece-like skin and human arms, and is wearing gloves.  Once or twice his mask falls off but its deftly readjusted and all is well. This diabolical creature of the night has his way with the woman as she passes out.

Back to the three rotund gentlemen who have just emerged from the jeep. They are walking along, chatting away, when they are accosted by a figure wearing a rubber mask and a miniskirt. It appears this forest is infested with Dracula's evil accomplices and a posse of Lady Dracula's acolytes. The three stooges casually return to their jeep and drive off unharmed.

The very next shot is of a group of college students and their teachers in the middle of the forest, but in the safety of daylight. The next shot shows six or so of the group driving off and arriving at their destination, and now it's nighttime again. A young man approaches a young beauty and lays his hands on her threateningly. She exclaims that he was about to kill her, and he accepts that he was. The next second, they walk off together amicably as though nothing had ever happened.

Bewildering.

Then we have a clutch of semi-nude women giggling at Dracula's Haveli as he admonishes them. He complains that, being his wives, they should have provided him with hundreds of Baby Draculas by now but have failed to do so. He is very cross with his wives for this failure. He declares that he will find Sheetal and make her his main Lady Dracula because she will accomplish what they have been unable to.

The next scene is in broad daylight again, but seconds later it's dark once more. As the campers are setting up in the company of the earlier masked witch, who has now removed her mask, they are accosted by the original Lady Dracula, with polystyrene wings, who starts giggling menacingly and terrifies the campers. Now Polystyrene Lady Dracula is joined by a lookalike, as well as another wearing a terrifying red dime-store mask.

Elsewhere, Sheetal, who was earlier seen tormenting the old fuddy-duddies with her rubber mask, appears to have undergone a personality change. Now she is assailed by Dracula but manages to escape his clutches because she happens to have a cross on her, which she uses to ward him off. She bumps into a friend in the forest and explains that Dracula is after her and that she only survived thanks to the cross.

The two girls join their friends at the campsite and complain of hearing ghostly sounds in the forest, but their friends tell them they are imagining things—yeh toh sab tumhara veham hai. Later that night, Sheetal wanders away from the campsite and is followed and menaced by the Beast-Dog-Wolf creature with fleece fur, woollen gloves and shiny leather shoes.

At this stage, we are not yet at the 20-minute mark of the film's running time.

Events keep flashing by as Harinam Singh's tactics leave the audience's heads spinning as they try to make sense of what is unfolding.

Dracula is adamant that he will capture Sheetal and make her his main Lady Dracula, but his other concubines insist that she is bad news and that he should abandon his plan. They claim that the strongest gods protect her, but Dracula insists that his powers are greater than any God's and that he shall emerge victorious.

So the pursuit continues.

Polystyrene-winged and rubber-masked witches constantly harass the campers, while Sheetal is hunted night and day by Dracula, the Wolf-Bear creature and various rubber-masked acolytes as well as a desi Charlie Manson clone. Somehow, she manages to escape their heinous clutches by the skin of her teeth, helped enormously by being canny enough to keep her holy amulet with her for protection.

The orgy of shocking horror continues unabated.

Sheetal, meanwhile, discovers the secret of Dracula when she stumbles into his Haveli and finds a book that explains exactly how he came to be and the source of his incredible powers. Once she has the book, she has a better idea of how to ward off his evil: by clutching her holy amulet, keeping her faith strong and keeping her shorts shorter than ever.

Ultimately, there is a showdown as the junior Lady Draculas attack en masse but are held at bay by the brave campers. Finally, the bold and beautiful Sheetal confronts Dracula's inner circle and Lady Dracula, managing to subdue them and leaving her to face the mighty Dracula himself in a final battle.

There follows a protracted and fearsome confrontation, with Dracula and Sheetal pulverising each other with karate chops and showering one another with thudding punches.

Can Sheetal overcome the might of Dracula, or will she finally succumb and become the Queen Lady Dracula, producing a future race of Mini Draculas to rule the world?

Unfortunately, Sheetal's conquest appears to be flawed, as a voice-over booms over the film's final scene, informing us that she has made a fatal miscalculation by failing to bury Dracula's corpse. Though the campers and humanity might be safe for the moment... it is only a matter of time before Dracula rises again to torment the world, stronger and more diabolical than ever before.

Harinam Singh, clearly anticipating the massive success of Shaitani Dracula, wisely leaves the door wide open for a sequel which the world awaits with keen anticipation.

Watching this film is like living through the most surreal, fragmented and demented nightmare imaginable. It makes no sense at all and yet somehow casts its spell over the viewer, drowning them in a cesspool of madness.

Is the film reminiscent of David Lynch at his most inspired, or is it more like Ed Wood on an acid trip? Will Shaitani Dracula ultimately be recognised as an allegory of social injustice and disorder in the modern world, or as a dystopian dream signalling the downfall of humanity?

Undoubtedly, Shaitani Dracula is a towering classic of its kind.