My Dear Kuttichathan is the first Indian 3D (three-dimensional) movie, which was later dubbed in Hindi as Chhota Chetan in 1997, which was a box office success grossing ₹1.30 crore.The film was made in 1984 under the banner of Navodaya Films. Chota Chetan was a huge box office hit and had a gross earning of Rs 60 crore during 1984-85. The film featured Suresh Mukesh, Dalip Tahil, Sonia Sahni, and Arvind. Directed by Jijo, the film was bankrolled by Appachan. Despite meticulous planning, the filming took approximately 90 days to finish, which is three times the time required for a typical film in that decade.
The lyrics of the film were written by Javed Akhtar, Anand Bakshi, and Sameer, and its music was given by Anu Malik. The version that was released in 1997 also included actress Urmila Matondkar. In 2010, additional scenes starring Prakash Raj and Santhanam were added in Tamil film, and it was renamed Chutti Chathan. On August 25, 2011, a newly remastered version with extra footage was released. The story of the film Chhota Chetan circles around four friends studying in the same school. They are made fun of by other students at school who are wealthier than they are. When they met a boy with miraculous powers, the storyline takes a turn.
The film also won the President’s, Gold Medal. The movie was re-released with additional footage and digital sound upgrade during 1998 and amassed Rs 50 crore during that period.
Back then, 3D glasses were a major attraction for kids. However, it took a long time for a filmmaker to make another 3D film following ‘Chhota Chetan.’