Rajkumar Hirani recalls industry insiders calling Sanjay Dutt’s Munna Bhai MBBS a ‘disaster’ (Image credits: Instagram)
Rajkumar Hirani’s blockbuster Munna Bhai MBBS may be seen as a classic today, but the director revealed that not everyone was convinced about its success before its release.
In a recent conversation, Hirani pointed out the skepticism surrounding the film and how some industry insiders predicted it would flop.Casting Sanjay Dutt, who was then largely associated with action-packed roles, as an ambitious doctor in a comedy-drama set in a hospital, was seen as a risky move, the director said.Recalling the demo of the film, Hirani shared with Sanjay Arora, “I remember when the film was completed and we were holding a demo.
A few people came to watch it, including the director. When he saw him, he said to me: What did you do? You made a disaster. Sanjay Dutt is an action hero, and you are going to attend a movie with him in the hospital? And I even filmed the songs here. At least one song must be filmed in a foreign location.
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“I made everyone wear hospital uniforms.”
Hirani also recalled being criticized for the film’s visual presentation. According to him, the director who attended the screening felt that the film lacked the colorful aesthetics expected from mainstream Hindi cinema at that time.
“He also said, ‘This should have been a colourful film. The characters should have worn colourful clothes. What is this? You made everyone wear hospital uniforms,'” Hirani recalls.
Opening day anxiety and a misunderstood thumb
The director also spoke about his nervousness on the film’s opening day and the moment that initially made him nervous.“We went to Gaiety Galaxy, and as I was entering the theater, I asked the gate guard what the response to the film was.
“He gave me a thumbs-up, and at that moment, my heart sank a little,” Hirani said.However, he soon realized that he had misunderstood the gesture. “When I walked inside, I saw that the theater was only about 50 percent occupancy. Then I realized that he meant that the occupancy was low and the show was not full. As a ticket seller, that’s all that mattered to him. But inside, I could see that the audience was thoroughly enjoying the movie.” Hirani added that he visited several theaters later that day and witnessed the positive impact of word of mouth. By evening, one of the movie theaters he visited had already put up a “Housefull” sign outside, indicating that audiences were flocking to see the movie.
