Chandrasena (1935) is a weird, wonderful 1930s special effects trip

Is this worth watching today? Yes, but only if you actually like old movies that feel a bit like a fever dream. If you need 4K resolution and fast editing, you will probably hate this and turn it off after five minutes.

People who love Ray Harryhausen or seeing how they did movie magic before computers will have a great time. It’s a mythological story from the Ramayana, but it feels more like an adventure movie.

The story starts with Indrajit attacking Rama and Lakshmana. It is all very dramatic with lots of magic arrows flying around everywhere.

They get captured by this guy Mahi. He’s the kind of villain who really enjoys his job, mostly because he lives in a kingdom that loves to party.

The movie talks a lot about 'bacchanalian orgies' and liquor. It is kind of funny to see a 1930s movie focus so much on how much everyone is drinking. 🍻

Mahi’s wife, Chandrasena, is the real MVP of the story. She is totally over her husband’s lifestyle and his drunk friends.

She basically decides to help the good guys because she’s a fan of Rama. It’s funny because her betrayal feels very practical, like she’s just tired of the noise next door.

There is a scene where a gigantic Hanuman picks up a tiny little human figure. For 1935, this looks absolutely wild.

You can tell they used a miniature or some kind of double exposure trick. It has this shaky, hand-made feel that you just don't get with modern CGI.

Hanuman is played by Manajirao and he has this great energy. He’s a guy in a suit, obviously, but he moves with so much weight.

The fights are not like modern stunts. They are very stiff and theatrical, like everyone is worried they might trip over their own robes.

I noticed that the arrows have these little sparkler effects on the tips. Every time someone shoots one, it looks like a tiny 4th of July celebration on screen.

Mahi has this special power where he can duplicate himself. When he starts making clones, the movie gets really chaotic.

It reminds me of those old trick films from the silent era. The edit points are a bit obvious if you look closely, but it’s still charming.

If you have seen Thundering Hoofs, you know how much personality these old black-and-white films can have. Chandrasena has that same kind of raw energy, even if the film quality is a bit grainy.

The kingdom itself looks like a big stage set. There are moments where you can almost hear the actors' feet clunking on the wooden floor.

I love the way the movie doesn't try to be realistic. It knows it’s a big, magical story and it just leans into the weirdness.

• The giant monkey moments are the best.
• The drinking scenes are surprisingly long.
• The magic arrows are basically Roman candles.

One specific shot lingers on a reaction for way too long. It makes the actor look like they forgot their next line, but they just kept filming anyway.

The music is also very 1930s. It’s loud and constant, filling up every single silence so you never forget that SOMETHING BIG is happening.

It is much more fun than some of the other stuff from that era, like Ongaku kigeki horoyoi jinsei, which is a bit more of a slow burn. This movie wants to show you magic every five minutes.

The way Chandrasena gives up her husband’s secret is pretty cold. She just tells them the secret formula to kill him like she’s giving out a cooking recipe.

I guess that’s what happens when you throw too many liquor orgies. Your wife eventually helps the monkey-god take you down. 🐒

The film is a bit of a mess in terms of pacing. It speeds up and slows down for no reason, like the editor was figuring it out as they went.

But that is part of the charm of watching these really old Indian mythologies. They feel like they were made by people who were just excited to see what the camera could do.

It is a short watch, so you don't really lose anything by giving it a look. Just don't expect it to make total sense if you aren't familiar with the original legends.

Even if you don't care about the story, the visual tricks are worth the price of admission. It’s like a time capsule of how people imagined gods and demons before everything became pixels.