Chachi 420 is a 1997 Indian Hindi comedy film, co-written, co-produced and directed by Kamal Haasan. The film is a remake of the Tamil film Avvai Shanmughi (released in the previous year) which was inspired from the Hollywood film Mrs. Doubtfire (1993). It was the first film directed by Kamal Haasan who also starred in the film playing double roles. The film also starred Tabu, Amrish Puri, Om Puri, Johnny Walker, Paresh Rawal, Rajendranath Zutshi, Ayesha Jhulka, Nassar and Baby Sana (Fatima Sana Shaikh).
The film revolves around the story of Jai (Kamal Haasan), a successful makeup artist and his wife Janki (Tabu), a singer. They have a daughter named Bharti (Baby Sana) who is very attached to her father. However, their marriage is on the rocks due to Jai's workaholic nature and Janki's suspicion of his infidelity. Janki files for divorce and gets the custody of Bharti, while Jai is allowed to meet her only once a week. Jai is heartbroken and misses his daughter terribly.
Jai learns that Janki has hired a governess named Lakshmi Godbole (Amrish Puri) to take care of Bharti. He decides to disguise himself as an elderly woman named Laxmi Bai aka Chachi 420 (Auntie 420) and applies for the job. He manages to impress Janki and Bharti with his cooking and caring skills and gets hired as the governess. He also befriends Banwarilal Pandey (Om Puri), a security guard who has a crush on Chachi.
Jai enjoys spending time with his daughter as Chachi and tries to win back Janki's trust and love. However, he faces many challenges and risks of being exposed by various people, such as his friend Hari (Rajendranath Zutshi), who recognizes him as Chachi; Durgaprasad Bhardwaj (Paresh Rawal), Janki's father who dislikes Jai and suspects Chachi; Joseph (Nassar), a detective hired by Durgaprasad to spy on Chachi; Ritu (Ayesha Jhulka), Jai's colleague who loves him; and Ravindran (Johnny Walker), an old friend of Janki who wants to marry her.
The film reaches its climax when Durgaprasad arranges Janki's marriage with Ravindran and invites Chachi to perform at the wedding. Jai decides to reveal his true identity to Janki and Bharti and stop the marriage. He disguises himself as a sardar singer and sings a song dedicated to Janki, while secretly changing into Chachi's costume. He then reveals himself as Chachi in front of everyone and confesses his love for Janki. He also apologizes to Bharti for lying to her and asks for her forgiveness. Janki is shocked and angry at first, but then realizes that Jai loves her and their daughter very much. She forgives him and reconciles with him. The film ends with Jai, Janki and Bharti happily living together as a family.
Chachi 420 was well received by the critics and the audience alike. The film was praised for its comedy, direction, screenplay, music and performances. Kamal Haasan was especially lauded for his portrayal of both Jai and Chachi, as well as for his debut as a director. The film was also nominated for several awards, including Filmfare Awards for Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Comedian, Best Music Director, Best Lyricist and Best Male Playback Singer.
If you are interested in watching this hilarious comedy film, you can find it online on various platforms. You can watch it in full HD 1080p quality on YouTube . You can also watch it on other streaming services, such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Hotstar and Zee5. You can also buy or rent the DVD or Blu-ray of the film from online or offline stores.
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