These are the gold hearted women who live on the other side of our society not by their choice, but sheerly due to circumstances..
A Devdas introduced the professional Chandramukhi, who danced to the tunes, out of habit even though she had whatever she wanted until she realises that she did not really have what she wanted, Devdas...After she comes to know and love him, she very nearly is transformed to a state of Meera and worshipping him...
But Chameli, not half as glamorous as Chandramukhi, is thrown to the wolves at a very young age, and does her duty as a professional hooker, fighting for her rights, has her own pride not to take money as charity and instead willing to take it for services rendered....
A preoccupied and stern Rahul Bose, the hero, happens to meet Chameli on a road side on a thrashing rainy night, though unwillingly at first, but later spends time talking with her and has a glimpse of her golden heart and tries to rescue her from the hands of pimp who is pressurising her to attend a rich but sick rowdy Mumbai Dada....He learns a valuable lesson from Chameli...’’Life is like that, and it should be taken in our stride’’...His feeling of guilt over his wife’s death which had made him unapproachable, lessens and he tries to turn a new leaf by talking to his in-laws....
The film ends with Rahul Bose coming to the same place where he had met Chameli wanting to meet her again, and Chameli happily meeting him...We dont know if its going to be a new beginning for both them, but as there seems to emerge a respectful attraction on both sides, it may as well....
Well I have seen Chameli once, but I doubt if I will see it again. Even though Kareena Kapoor has done a good job as the title character we see her as only Kareena and not as Chameli. It is a good film in the sense that, it portrays the people living on the other side as humans, but nothing more than that...A little more from the director’s desk is found wanting..
In fact, Pretty woman, where Julia Roberts played a hooker, seemed far more realistic to me, even though it was a chocolatey romance with Richard Gere as the male lead...I would see it again, anytime, anyday...A great film is just that, isn’t it? wanting to see more and more of it...
It is Hollywood....people dream here...Some dreams come true, some don’t....Its Hollywood...