Remember the 1980 caper-drama Do Aur Do Paanch? It featured Amitabh Bachchan and Shashi Kapoor as two con-men who are hired to kidnap an heir-apparent from his school where they masquerade as two teachers to win over the child’s confidence. An incorrigibly funny and warm-hearted film ,it is one of the most underrated films in the series that the Big B and Shashi Kapoor teamed up for in the 1970s and 80s. Now a young producer Anil Vohra has seen the potential of this sleeper comedy. Vohra recently purchased the remake rights of the film from its Chennai-based producer C. Dhandayuthapani and is now looking at refurbishing the script. Says Vohra, “I was happy to seek the producer out. He has been associated with an all-time blockbuster like Haathi Mere Saathi. The core of the Do Aur Do Paanch plot remains just as interesting as it was when it was released. But some of the situations need to be contemporized. We’re working on that. But the basic plot will remain the same. I feel Do Aur Do Paanch is among Mr Bachchan’s most neglected comedies. It was released almost at the same time as another Bachchan-Shashi Kapoor starrer Suhaag directed by the great Manmohan Desai. I feel Do Aur Do Paanch got dwarfed . It has great potential.” While the original film was directed by Rakesh Kumar who in his brief career directed the Big B four times in Khoon Pasina, Mr Natwarlal, Yaarana and Do Aur Do Paanch, the remake would be directed by Ajay Devgn’s brother Anil Devgan who directed Raju Chacha and Blackmail with Ajay in the lead. Do Aur Do Paanch, we hear, will bring back the Bol Bachchan duo, and will cast Ajay Devgn in the Big B’s role and Abhishek Bachchan in Shashi Kapoor’s role. The producer is tightlipped about the casting, though he admits Ajay’s bro is helming the project as director. Says Vohra, “I am not in a position to talk about the casting. But yes, Anil Devgan is directing the film. We’re also going to get the title song from the original Do Aur Do Paanch which was composed by Rajesh Roshan, into our remake, no matter what it takes. We’ve bought the remake rights. Now we’re ready to negotiate with the music company (Saregama) for the title-song. One can’t imagine the film Do Aur Do Paanch without Kishore Kumar’s title song Jo soche jo chahen woh karke dikhayen hum woh hai jo do aur do panch bana de.” Do Aur Do Paanch Trivia Hema Malini and Parveen Babi who played the two female leads swapped roles. Originally Hema was to co-star with the Big B and Shashi with Parveen Babi. But then it was felt by all concerned that Parveen after Deewaar suited the Big B better while Hema was better off being paired with her old favourite Shashi Kapoor.