Premium22 years of Chameli: Kareena Kapoor Khan's career-defining role and how Pritish Nandy saved the film
Pritish Nandy and Sudhir Mishra’s vision in Chameli lives on through Kareena Kapoor Khan's unforgettable performance, which continues to shine 22 years later.
Last Updated: 03.02 PM, Jan 09, 2025
It's been 22 years since Kareena Kapoor Khan starred in her career-defining titular role, Chameli. The actor played the role of a young sex worker opposite Rahul Bose in the film directed by Sudhir Mishra and produced by Pritish Nandy, who passed away yesterday, that is, January 8, 2025. Rinke Khanna retired from acting following this film, her last before getting married.
Plot of Chameli and character dynamics
The plot revolves around a night out with an investment banker and a prostitute. In the midst of a brutal downpour, a young sex worker spends the night in Mumbai's red light district with an investment banker whose car breaks down.
Career-defining role for Kareena Kapoor Khan
Ameesha Patel rejected an earlier version of Chameli because she felt it didn't align with her character. Kareena Kapoor Khan subsequently cast the part, marking a significant turning point in her career. Anant Balani, the film's director, passed away on August 28, 2003. When the project was on the verge of cancellation, Pritish Nandy reached out to Sudhir Mishra to assume directing duties. Using a revised script, the filmmaker finished the film.
Kareena earlier recalled that her parents had spoken with her about the leading role in Chameli, and they were supportive, considering it a daring concept that would greatly benefit her career. Furthermore, if she doesn't act now, she fears becoming entangled in an idealized portrayal of herself.
Despite being only 22 years old, Kareena's performance of Chameli left everyone wondering if she could pull it off, but it seemed to work. The film was quite successful for its time. The actor believes it's crucial to take on a variety of roles at this point in her career.
Sudhir Mishra’s reflection on Chameli
Meanwhile, Mishra recalled that everyone seemed to have an opinion about Chameli, but he decided to clarify the situation. The director of Chameli was Anant Balani, a graduate of the film institute with two directing credits. His untimely demise occurred only two days into filming. Pritish Nandy, who was also producing Chameli, was her producer at the time, and he was working on Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi. To complete the film, he reached out to Mishra.
Talking about Kareena, the veteran filmmaker revealed that she is incredibly gifted. Those who work in mainstream media are accustomed to receiving scripts every day with conversations already written in. Bebo comes from a long line of respectful actors; she is well-versed in the director's and process' expectations. Mishra discovered that he often failed to tell the actor to cut when she gave the shot, and she also never stopped.
He also stated that her discipline will ensure she continues to perform, even if the director doesn't make any cuts. Then, quite charmingly, she would do something he hadn't even asked her to do. Mishra collected numerous photographs of Kareena's face and stored them all. He stated that Chameli is no longer relevant—she is the star of the movie. Witnessing her incredible discipline during the many rainy rehearsals in such a short period of time was quite inspiring.
Jabilamma (2008), starring Navneet Kaur and Rajeev Kanakala, is the Telugu remake of the film.
Where to stream Chameli?
Chameli is available to stream on multiple OTT platforms, including Disney+ Hotstar, SonyLIV (OTTplay Premium), and Lionsgate Play (OTTplay Premium).