Kamal Haasan is one of the finest and most talented actors in Indian cinema. He has delivered several blockbusters in his career like Nayagan, Mahanadi, Chachi 420, and others. In his illustrious career, Chachi 420 deserves special mention. It is because besides playing and excelling in his dual role, he also directed this film. Also, many would not know that Kamal Haasan changed the name of the movie twice.

As per the IMDB report, the film was previously titled Chikni Chachi and then Stree 420. It was, however, later renamed Chachi 420. The film gained phenomenal success at the box office. As per the media reports, Kamal Haasan produced this film for Rs 4.50 crore. Chachi 420 ended up earning 5 times more than the budgetary cost at the box office. It earned Rs 20 crore globally and remains one of the most loved films on OTT and television. This film was released on December 19, 1997.

Chachi 420 not only changed the title but the director as well. Kamal Haasan had initially chosen ad filmmaker Shantanu Sheorey to direct this film. He was unhappy with the complaints that started to begin on the sets only after five days of the shoot. Kamal Haasan removed Shantanu from the direction and took over the charge of the movie. The rest, as known to all, is history.

Chachi 420 primarily gained a lot of popularity amongst the audience because of Ulaganayagan (Universal Hero), as Kamal Haasan is known, playing a woman’s role. Cross-dressing men as women is considered a sure-shot formula when makers want to create some comic moments in a film. In Chachi 420, Kamal Haasan plays the role of a divorced man Jaiprakash Paswan. He wishes to be close to his only child. Due to this reason, he takes the role of a nanny named Laxmi Godbhole. Things, however, take an interesting turn when his ex-father-in-law Durgaprasad Bhardwaj (Amrish Puri) falls in love with him. Tabu, Om Puri, Johnny Walker, Paresh Rawal, Nassar, Ayesha Jhulka, and others also acted in Chachi 420.