At some point during the 1980s, it was decided that Rekha, one of the most glamorous actresses of all time, should be cast as the lead in outrageously campy, over-the-top action films. These movies let Rekha swap her usual heroine roles for something much wilder [E.g. feeding her villainous husband to crocodiles in Khoon Bhari Maang (1988)].
But nothing tops Madam X (1994).
The film gives us double the Rekha, which is two times the madness. On one side, she’s Madam X, a veiled vixen obsessed with stealing all the gold in the world. On the other, she’s Sonu, a plucky neembu-paani seller who happens to look exactly like Madam X. (Masala Bollywood, after all, is a place where everyone has a doppelgänger, especially when it makes the plot more conveniently ridiculous).
The Plot
The film is essentially a recycled version of Don (1978), with a bonus of Shakti Kapoor in drag, and opens with Madam X doing what every self-respecting supervillain would: trying to hoard all the world’s gold while dripping with fake gold accessories.
However, Madam X’s villainy extends far beyond her crimes. For one, her fashions are a crime in itself. Capes, turbans, cowls, sequins, epaulettes—you name it, Madam X owns it. The costume changes come so frequently that one begins to wonder if part of her criminal enterprise involves raiding every fashion show in Milan. (Lady Gaga would’ve envied Madam X).
Enter Inspector Vijay (played by Mohsin Khan), who is on a personal mission to bring down Madam X. His dedication to the case is so intense that it costs him his wife, Nita (Kiran Juneja), who throws herself in front of a bullet meant for him. Shortly after this tragic death, a series of hilarious kung fu duels with Madam X follow, mostly involving slow-motion leaps and badly-timed punches. Vijay wins the round by getting Madam X appropriately wet in the hair department (note: her hairstyle is inspired by Sonic the Hedgehog).
But does he take her to jail? Nope! Instead, he chains her up in some remote hideout, where she proceeds to shriek and spit like a banshee. Vijay then conveniently stumbles upon neembu-pani seller Sonu, who—surprise!—is a dead ringer for Madam X, and he convinces her to impersonate the villain as part of a convoluted undercover operation. Sonu agrees to the mission because she’s in need of money to care for her ailing brother. Cue the obligatory training montage, where she learns how to walk like a panther (whatever that means) and pretend to be a ruthless crime boss. Despite Sonu’s innocence, she somehow manages to fool the baddies.
Since no Bollywood movie is complete without a love story, Inspector Vijay and Sonu—now playing Madam X—fall in love. This leads to a hilariously bizarre song where Vijay plays a grand piano while Rekha, dressed in yet another campy outfit, dances and glides in slow motion around him. This song is probably the kind of stuff Salvador Dali would dream about during a brain fever, only with more sequins.
The Aesthetic of Execrable Excesses
The 90s were not known for subtlety in Bollywood, and Madam X is no exception. Many parts of the movie look like they were filmed under a defective disco ball. Scenes of high drama seem to be soundtracked by music that sounds suspiciously like the intro to Michael Jackson’s Beat It. Rekha manages to ride horses on a beach near (what looks like) tropical Alibaug in a fur coat composed of ferrets without breaking into a sweat even once. The outlandishness of the setup matches the exaggerated performance from Rekha, who chews the scenery as Madam X like she’s at an all-you-can-eat buffet.
While the film has been (correctly) overlooked in the grander scheme of Bollywood history (it was declared a flop the day it released), it’s worth watching just for the sheer experience. There’s no deep character development or sophisticated plot, but that’s not why one should watch Madam X. One should watch it for Rekha’s insanely idiotic outfits, cheesy action scenes, and camp appeal.
Madam X is a glorious and (perhaps self-aware) mess. It’s the kind of movie that mocks its own stupidity even as it continues to be stupid (wink, wink). Rekha’s over-the-top dual role, the hackneyed plot, and the hilariously bad fashion choices make this a must-watch for fans of so-bad-it’s-good cinema. Best enjoyed with wine (and ideally, friends who appreciate high camp).
