Sesuous Mallika Sherawat as Naagin

Hollywood filmmaker Jennifer Lynch, daughter of Oscar nominee and Cannes Film Festival winner David Lynch, is in Mumbai to shoot a film with Mallika Sherawat and Irrfan Khan.

The film, Naagin – The Snake Woman, is a Bollywood project about the ancient legend of the snake woman. It will be shot in Chennai and the backwaters of Kerala with an Indian cast and American villain. Which makes Jennifer the first Hollywood director to actually shoot a Hindi language film. “Don’t perceive me as a Western director, but just another director who’s hoping to give a good film to the world,” she began by saying.

“Essentially, at the heart of every story, there is love. So when director Govind Menon and producer Vikram approached me with the subject, I was spellbound. We have fables of vampires and Cindrellas, and you guys have such interesting legends about snakes. It’s super cool to be a Nagin! I come from a country where snakes are looked down upon and associated with negative energy. Here, snakes are worshipped,” exclaimed Jennifer whose last film, Surveillance, starring Bill Pullman and Julia Ormond premiered at Cannes in June.

According to the filmmaker, the world believes India is a snake charmers’ country, but nobody knows the real story behind this misconception. Jennifer intends to dispel this myth with a classy, musical murder mystery made with special effects. “I will change the perspective in the West about snakes and they will be respected hereafter,” said the director who has been exposed to India through the Vedas since her father studied Ayurveda.

On why she chose Mallika for the role, Jennifer explained, “She has it in her. Her body is the hallmark of most of her films, but I am focusing on the sensuality of her face and her eyes.” But...
Mallika fans won’t be disappointed as well. “There are scenes where she will be the babe she is in real life, there are sensually done songs,” laughed Jennifer, “I feel Mallika has that crossover quality, I will help her achieve that, she’s definitely made for bigger things.”