File Review - Lage Raho Munnabhai

Munna Bhai – Dadagiri to Gandhigiri…..

Munnabhai MBBS released a few years back, came as a whiff of fresh air.  Staying away from the time tested formulaes known to Bollywood – a relatively unknown filmmaker by the name or Rajkumar Hirani and well-known producer Vidhu Vinod Chopra gave the audiences two characters they fell in love with.  Munna and Circuit as they were affectionately known, became two Bollywood characters that would be probably remembered like Jai and Veeru from the legendary film Sholay.  Now Munna and Circuit are back with their next installment of wit and wisdom in Lage Raho Munnabhai. 

To make a film that is good cinema and be widely accepted by the masses is not an easy task in itself.  To do that twice over by the same director is something that is almost next to impossible.  Does “Lage Raho….” live up to the original?  Do Munna & Circuit retain their sparkling chemistry from their first outing?  The answer to all these questions and more is a resounding YES!!!

The credit for making Lage Raho….so entertaining, should entirely go to the director Rajkumar Hirani (who is also credited with the screenplay & dialogues).  Hirani’s script & screenplay have been incredibly well thought out that he hardly ever falters or meanders from his main purpose of his story – rekindling Gandhian values in modern day India.  Hats off to Vidhu Vinod Chopra in supporting such a project as well.  Their effort goes to prove that good cinema doesn’t always mean that it cannot entertain.  LRM manages to touch the hearts without being over sentimental, make people laugh without resorting to slap stick or cheap vulgar jokes and sends a clear message without being preachy. 

This is not a sequel in the true sense – the only common factors are the characters of Munna and Circuit.  Yes, some of the actors seen in MBBS are seen here as well, but they don different characters.  Munna lives life in the streets of Mumbai doing what he does best – Dadagiri.  His faithful accomplice in his dealings is Circuit who trusts Munna implicitly.  Munna spends his entire mornings listening to the voice of Jhanvi, a Radio DJ who hosts a morning show.  Munna dreams of meeting her and conveying his feelings to her. 

The opportunity knocks on Oct 2nd in the form of a quiz on Mahatma Gandhi – the winner would get to meet and be interviewed by Jhanvi.  Seizing this opportunity in Munnaesque fashion, Munna & Circuit orchestrate Munna being the first caller on the show and win the contest (of course with the help of a few History professors).  Munna, obviously, is not able to reveal to his love that he is a goon and tells her that he is a History professor.  From there on, the journey of Munna in the guise of a professor leads him to read on Gandhi quite a bit and starts seeing and talking to the Mahatma himself (played excellently by Marathi Stage actor Dilip Prabhavalkar).  The meeting with Mahatma changes Munna’s philosophy of Dadagiri to Gandhigiri as he resorts to love and non-violence to achieve his goals. 

The performances are first rate – Sanjay Dutt as Munna, Arshad Warsi as Circuit are as usual sparkling in their chemistry.  Vidya Balan has a very efferverscent screen presence and she fits the role of the DJ aptly.  Boman Irani as the corrupt builder plays his part very well.  His Sardar act is spot on.  Dia Mirza, Jimmy Shergill and the rest of the supporting cast play their characters perfectly.   The music of Shantanu Moitra fits the bill very well.  It is not music that one will remember a lot, but it is not obtrusive and does not hamper the narrative of the film.  Dialogues by Rajkumar Hirani & Abhijat Joshi are superb.  Combining the tapori lingo with words of wisdom is not easy and they have done it simply beautifully. 

This is a movie everyone should watch – not for the sheer entertainment value, but for the message it tries to portray.  As mentioned earlier, this is not a preachy film, but it makes you think about the principles the great man stood for.  Haven’t we all forgotten this in some way, shape or form?  In Munna’s own lingo – Ekdum Jhakaas Mamu…….miss nai karneka, kya!!!

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