Hungama completes 20 years: Paresh Rawal: I would want the film to be remade

Actor Paresh Rawal walks down the memory lane with us as his film, Hungama, complete 20 years since its release

As Hungama clocks 20 years, actor Paresh Rawal reveals no one in the team envisioned that the comedy film will be “fondly remembered till date”. In fact, the veteran actor feels someone must try to remake the hit film.

Hungama also featured Akshaye Khanna and Aftab Shivdasani

“It’s been 20 years since the film released, and it makes me extremely happy and proud that the film is fondly remembered till date,” Rawal says, adding, “It was a very different family entertainer which has today turned out to be a cult movie. We had a lot of fun while working on the film, which was very well directed and written by Priyadarshan ji with good co-actors. It was also supported properly by the producers. But we never imagined that it would turn out to be a classic”.

Looking back at the experience of shooting, the 68-year-old adds, “When we were working on the film, kissi ko koi umeed nahi thi, na hi hoti hai. We were not shooting the project thinking it will turn out to be a hit, or will become timeless. Humne kabhi yeh socha nahi, na hi kabhi sochte hain. We go to the set to give our 100 percent with full honesty, and move on. It is the audience which makes the film hit, and in this case a classic. It is their love which keeps the story and film alive in their hearts and minds for 20 years, making it memorable. It is not in our hands. We just do our work and move on”.

Also starring Akshaye Khanna, Aftab Shivdasani, Rimi Sen and Shoma Anand, the film narrated a story of a group of people whose misconception about each other end up in a series of chaotic, yet comic outcomes. He feels it is “the subject backed with performances of everyone which makes the film timeless”.

In fact, some clips of the film featuring Rawal and Anand are often used as memes on social media, and the actor admits he is aware of the same, but doesn’t go on social media looking for it. “I don’t see social media or memes as I find it to be a nuisance, and often bore me,” he confesses.

It is a remake of Priyadarshan’s 1984 Malayalam film Poochakkoru Mookkuthi. So, does he want the film to be remade again?

“Well, I am not against the idea of the film being remade again, but it has to do justice to the one we made. If the script is good, only then one should attempt to touch it and remake it, and if not, they should leave it. Jo hai usko bigadne ki koi zaroorat nahi hai,” says the actor.