A movie titled “Mark Antony” that’s not about the Roman general who was Cleopatra’s last lover? Well, that’s going to be a disappointment for lovers of Roman history!

For casual moviegoers, though, you’re in for a real treat. Having premiered in Malaysia on Friday, this particular “Mark Antony” is a 2023 film by Adhik Ravichandran, and it’s a real delight.

In fact, this sci-fi action comedy is one of the most insane films to come out of India of late – and that’s putting it mildly.

To explain this better, here’s the rundown of the wacky plot. The film begins in 1975 and, immediately setting the tone, introduces viewers to a mad scientist named Chirajeevi (Selvaraghavan).

Shortly before being hit by stray bullets, he invents a time-travelling phone that allows users to make calls to people in the past.

Fast forward to 1995, and the phone ends up in the possession of the titular character, Mark Antony (Vishal), a humble mechanic with an unhappy history.

You see, Mark’s deceased father Antony (also played by Vishal in a dual role) was a notorious gangster who allegedly murdered Mark’s mother.

Afterwards, Mark was adopted by Antony’s best friend Jackie (SJ Suryah), which led to a rivalry between Mark and Madhan, Jackie’s biological son (also played by SJ Suryah. Keeping track?).

When he comes across the time-travelling phone, Mark decides to use it to change the past – and subsequently discovers that much of what he knew was a lie.

And, with the phone exchanging hands several times as events unfold, you can expect all sorts of time-travel shenanigans to upend the lives of these colourful characters.

So! If you are a serious-minded moviegoer who likes deep themes and logical plots, it’s probably best to give “Mark Antony” a miss.

The film is certainly not meant to be taken seriously: it is, after all, a comedic spectacle unbound by the rules of logic. Things can get pretty absurd even by Indian-film standards and, mind you, that is one high bar to clear.

In two separate scenes, you have characters gunning down goons with a gun in their briefcase and a swivel-mounted machine gun disguised as a table.

And in a climactic moment, you have a character bust out an oversized artillery piece from the hood of a truck before firing incendiary rounds at his enemies. Cue viewers’ jaws dropping to the floor – it’s sheer lunacy!

Yet, “Mark Antony” clearly knows just how absurd it is and takes the time to laugh at itself, inviting the audience to laugh along with it.

And despite how absurd things get, the action set pieces are genuinely impressive, with many creative stunts.

In one particular scene, baddies alight from jeeps to board a moving double-decker bus in hopes of killing our hero. Unfortunately for them, Mark’s not locked in there with them – THEY’RE locked in there with HIM!

Cue the butt-kicking that sends people flying out of windows and ends with a fiery explosion. Woooo!

Entertaining and well-executed action sequences are just half of the equation, though; the verbal comedy being is just as good. There’s rarely a moment in which a joke is not made, and the actors do not – wait for it – phone it in.

At one point, Mark apologises to Madhan for having held the hand of a woman they are both attracted to. Madhan accepts his apology, only for Mark to say sorry for hugging her as well.

An irritated Madhan forgives Mark again, only for Mark to reveal he had kissed her, too. By the time Madhan scurries off, not wanting to hear what came after kissing, the audience is in stitches.

Suffice to say, if you need a good laugh, “Mark Antony” will have you leaving the cinema in giggles. Plus, if you are a fan of 1980s Indian gangster films, director Adhik pays homage to this era of films through references long-time cinephiles will appreciate.

This includes a scene featuring the late Silk Smitha, a beautiful and renowned Indian actress who passed away under tragic circumstances.

In many ways, the elements of the film are a love letter to the bits and pieces that made that decade of Indian cinema so special.

And with its larger-than-life characters, endless plot twists, and gratuitous but wholly palatable violence, “Mark Antony” truly captures what makes Indian cinema so great in this day and age.

As of press time, ‘Mark Antony’ is screening in selected cinemas nationwide.