Miss Chamko Revisited

Cut to 2013: the movie has been remade by David Dhawan although the story remains the same — three friends vie for the same girl’s attention. And while debutante actor Taapsee Pannu plays the character made so famous by Naval,she is no longer referred to as Miss Chamko. “I am called Haseena Phataka in the film. And the boys refer to me as their shikaar,” she says with a grin.

Explaining this change,Pannu adds,“The movie is a Davidised version of Chashme Buddoor,” referring to the director’s brand of comedy. Her character,in accordance,is more boisterous and that of a firebrand in comparison to the lively character that Naval played. “It is how a girl of today would react. In this era,one will not come across a girl who will take everything lying down and sit and cry in a corner. She will fight her way back if she feels betrayed,” says Pannu.

In the years gone by,a lot has changed in both Bollywood and Indian society. The urban Indian middle class is no longer as submissive as it used to be. The women,too,have found their voice and the docile heroine has long become a thing of the past. The remade Chashme Baddoor keeps with these changed times. “The society does not remain the same,and showing the sensibilities of the ’80s today would be a mismatch,” says Pannu.

Naval,however,believes that “the innocence and simplicity of the original is what made it so popular then. The audience had characters they could relate to”. She recounts that when Paranjype wanted her lead characters to be essayed by Farooque Shaikh and Naval,she wanted a female actor who did not look larger than life. Rather,someone who the youth of India would relate to. “When the film released,Sai’s conviction proved right,” says Naval,who became a role model of sorts for the young girls then.

Dhawan,on the other hand,does not have any such intention. Like his previous comedies,this one,too,is high on slapstick and punchlines. “When he approached me for the role,I went through several screen tests. He wanted to be sure that I would fit the role of the no-nonsense girl who would be on par with the boys in the film,” says Pannu.

However,Naval is keen to watch the remake. “I want to see how each of the characters has been contemporised and has evolved over 30 years,” she says.