To save their circus from bankruptcy, Jagdish (Madan Puri), its
financial director, and Kapoor, its creative director, decide to go to the
jungle to capture Otango, the legendary giant ape, as their main
attraction for the next season. At first, their expedition goes rather
smoothly, and Kapoor's daughter Rita (Ragini) soon falls in love with
their manly guide Ajit (Ajit), too. After their first encounter with
Otango though, which almost ends deadly, they find themselves in the caves
of Dr Cyclops (K.N. Singh), a charming man, perfect host ... and of course
a mad scientist. Actually, he has created Otango while trying to turn a
human into a gorilla, and has since continued his experiments. Slowly, our
heroes come to the realization that Dr Cyclops might not be too nice a guy
- only Jagdish sees (financial) possibilities in working with the man.
Still, without knowing a safe passage out of the caves, they have no way
of leaving. Cyclops has a daughter, Shobha (Helen), who has long
rejected her father's experiments, and now she tries to help the visitors
to escape - but they only run into a trap set up by Cyclops and Jagdish.
Now they are kept at prisoners all tied up, all but Jagdish (or course)
and Rita, whom Cyclops has fallen in love with, and wants to marry in the
neighbouring native village. With Cyclops away, the others led by Ajit
make an escape (during which Jagdish is killed), then they head for the
native village to free Rita. It almost costs them their lives, but they
succeeds when Otango attacks the village (and kills Cyclops in the
process). Shobha is allowed to die a heroine's death, saving Ajit's life. With
Rita freed and Cyclops out of the way, our heroes are now on the run from
the giant ape, whom they lure into a neighbouring village, then they set
the village on fire to kill Otango. It doesn't work, but when Otango
follows them onto a rope bridge over a sea of hot molten lava, they just
cut through the ropes and ... well, Otango doesn't survive. Usually
billed as the Hindi version of King Kong
- the name is even dropped a few times during the film -, Shikari actually
shows very little of its giant ape (a rather disappointing man in a
monkeysuit) but puts more emphasis on its mad scientist plotline. The
result is a slightly silly and naive science fiction flick, held in way
too bright colours and interrupted by the occasional song-and-dance
routine (and no, Otango unfortunately doesn't take part in any of those)
... which are the exact reasons to like this film: Sure, it's little more
than high camp made on a rather low budget, but if somebody promises you
(however erroneous) the Hindi version of King
Kong, you don't exactly expect the best film in the world, do you?
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