Superpower, Aka Khoonkhwar (1991)
Cast: Sultan Rahi, Sapna, Shahida Mini, Humayun Qureshi, Saher
Director: Shaukat Raz
Synopsis: Deadly Cold War Action Thriller featuring two Superpowers locked into a battle until death. Very odd even by Lollywood standards.
Reviewed by: Omar Khan

Drawn to intriguing titles, especially those featuring Sultan Rahi, this was the perfect choice for a nightcap viewing. Expecting a nuclear showdown between two superpower Empires, it was a bit of a shock when instead, the film turns out to be more of a battle between two species for the ultimate prize: control of the planet Earth.

On the one side, you have a posse of Snake People, devotees of a man who hangs out in his bathroom dressing gown and sports a mighty impressive new wave white weave and matching eyebrows. He also is the commander in chief of the snake force, the Naag Maharaj or the Boss Snake, and presides over a meeting of four followers and what looks like some school children.

The Boss Snake King informs his disciples of the admirable feats of the forefathers, but chides the two couples that despite their devotion, they have not been keeping up with their chores. They have not killed enough people, nor have they performed their spiritual responsibilities, and if they are to enjoy the eternal fruits of the snake lifestyle, they need to show that they mean business.

The shamed snakes go on the rampage, killing mostly several old women and young children. The village people implore the village Chaudhary to do something before the entire populace is wiped out.

It is agreed that they ought to acquire the services of the famed (Snake Man) Kalu Sapera, whose reputation and fame are known far and wide.

Meanwhile, the snake couple appears to be making light of their duties, squandering the time of day away, frolicking in the gardens with their nagging girlfriends, whispering sweet nothings, or indulging in the odd song and dance. This new generation of snake people seems to lead a wasteful, shallow, and frivolous life, not unlike the Shahs of Sunset, not exactly one that would make the Snake gods too proud.

Kalu Sapera and his posse of saperas have a field day capturing loads of snakes, but the couple manages to get away and head to the Maharaj to inform him of the onslaught against them. The Maharaj swears bloody revenge, and war is launched between the two Superpowers; the Naag People vs The Villagers led by the Chaudhary, whose buxom daughter heads off for an ill-advised picnic and ends up in the clutches of the snake people. Still, luck is with her as a feisty mongoose keeps showing up, and rescues her by battling the snakes just as they are in attack mode. Meanwhile, she suffers a bump on the head and is knocked out, and when rescued by some local villagers, she appears to have lost all her memory and does not know who she is. Meanwhile, her father, the village lord, is in a terrible state of worry for his poppet.

The snake people, meanwhile, are struggling to assert themselves and are losing the battle, if not the war, against the Sapera and the mysterious Mongoose that keeps popping up to ruin any chances of an advancement. The dead Nagin returns momentarily to have some harsh words with her lover, who had sworn to resurrect her but seems to be making no headway whatsoever. She takes it upon herself to seduce the Man Mongoose with a sultry dance. Yet, her tactics are

Superpower, Aka Khoonkhwar less than subtle as she mistakenly wears her best snake jewelry, amulets, and her finest snake outfits, which though alluring, are a dead giveaway. Sultan Rahi, the Mongoose, is not to be fooled so quickly; even this pathetic plan by the snake people is doomed to failure.

The film works on two levels: one as a simple Snake vs Mongoose clash of civilizations, or as a metaphor for the conflict of two Superpowers in a predominantly bipolar geopolitical sense. The god-fearing Mongoose: fearless, determined, canny, and disciplined, has all the qualities of the devout spiritual person, while their adversaries, the Snake People, lead avaricious lives motivated by a lust for eternal youth and immortality, yet they do nothing to earn such luxuries other than sing and dance and terrorize the helpless and the aged from time to time.

Their God is a mere mortal with a booming voice in the finest traditions of Punjabi movie villains. He has a very dubious weave (Serena Cha-cha?) that could have been handed down by a drag version of Father Christmas, or borrowed from Lady Bunny. He is a Godless conman like Stalin and many of the other dictators of the monolithic communist states of years gone by.

The film features heart-stopping excitement in several Snake vs Mongoose fight sequences, shot in a brutal, unedited fashion. There is much drama with various hapless females losing, then regaining their memories and getting pregnant while suffering a bout of amnesia.

Sultan Rahi’s presence as the Mongoose sent by Allah is electrifying. At the same time, the rest of the cast is adequate, and the beleaguered Naag, who keeps getting thrashed repeatedly, cuts a forlorn figure.

Overall, Superpower makes for an interesting pseudo geopolitical snake vs mongoose action thriller—a bit of a current rarity.