Have you seen 1998 comic presentation by Kamal Haasan "Chachi 420"? Yes, you must have been, then this film can be considered as the source inspiration for it, known as "Mrs. Doubtfire", which in-turn is based on Anne Fine 1987's novel "Madame Doubtfire". This comic presentation by Chris Columbus is very simple in filming, have the originality feeel, and is garnished by wonderful acting by Robin Williams, Sally Field, Lisa Jakub, Matthew Lawrence and the sweet little girl Mara Wilson. And well supported by Pierce Brosnan, Harvey Fierstein and Robert Prosky. This was the original movie, but still I must say "Chachi 420" was a better movie, because it can be considered as an intelligent adaptation, which was comic, and perfectly written for Indian viewers, generating lost of laughs, where the original movie lacks a bit.
It is a story of a troubled couple Daniel Hillard (Robin Williams), Miranda Hillard (Sally Field) and their 3 children, named Lydia (Lisa), Christopher (Matthew) and little girl Natalie (Mara). Daniel is having problem of jobs, and Miranda have to deal with everything, and she files for the divorce, leaving Daniel with only some hours to spend with his children, until he will get a nice job in hand. He made use of his gayish brother Frank's (Harvey) makeup skills, and get converted into a lady named "Mrs Doubtfire", and applies for nanny job in Miranda's home. Miranda's looking another man in Stuart (Pierce Brosnan). In the end he got back some extra hours to spend with his children.
Now, I must say, that this movie is a simple presentation, not much masalas flowing around, which restrict even the comic events, and since I've seen the copied Bollywood movie first, I didn't find this one much entertaining, but it is the original movie, perfect hollywood blockbuster with gem-of-actor Robin Williamsin a disguised lady role, and he did it with perfection, perfect english woman dialogue delivery, perfect expressions and etc. Sally, Lisa, Matthew did their roles well. The little girl Mara looks sweet, whenever she expressed and say some dialogues. Harvey looks great in the gayish image alongwith the comic Tv producer Jonathan Lundy (i.e. Robert Prosky). This beautiful story is adapted for the screen by Randi Mayem Singer, Leslie Dixon and Robin Williams. The makeup was marvellous, Robin looks like a nanny. Background score by Howard Shore is just okay, lacks the moments. Let us do some comparisons. This movie lacks comic scenes as there are in Chachi 420, obviously being a hollywood flick, no songs are here. Harvey is the same role which Johny Walker perfomed in the bollywood flick, and Robert's role is a mixture of Paresh and Amrish Puri, Here the character is just a time-pass, not developed to the potential. Some scenes are taken straight away by Kamal Hassan, which includes, naming of the new nanny character (from a paper's headline), a lady visiting hero's house at the time hero in the dress of nanny too is in the same house and few more, voice and looks of nanny are similar. Ending didn't matched, since here the pair didn't met again at the end. Here there are 3 children instead of 1 in bollywood movie, that 1 sweet girl's character is based on Natalie, for sure. Some great scenes include-
The emotional case scenes
Daniel's calling Miranda's house for the nanny post
His interactions with 3 children
His hating-scenes with Pierce Brosnan's character
The hilarious tea-preparation by Mrs. Doubtfire scene
Dinner confusion scene, where in the same restaurant, Daniel is alongwith Miranada's family in the makeup, and also visiting the TV producer Mr. Lundy as Daniel himself.
All-in-all this movie is a worth watch for once, and give you some great time to pass alongwith your family. Grab a CD/DVD, arrange your family on a cold afternoon/night and watch it with hot popcorns.
GRuchirG.
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