‘Munnna Bhai 3’ not postponed, Rajkummar Hirani on biggest hurdle: ‘It has to match the standard of what we already have’

For nearly two decades, fans have been eagerly waiting for the return of Sanjay Dutt’s Munna and Arshad Warsi’s ring. While speculation surrounding the fate of ‘Munna Bhai 3’ has surfaced time and again over the years, director Rajkumar Hirani and actor Arshad Warsi have now clarified that the project is very much alive and still under active development.According to Hindustan Times, speaking during the promotions of their upcoming streaming project ‘Pritam and Pedro’, the duo revealed that the problem is not a lack of ideas, but finding the perfect story that can live up to the legacy of the series.

Rajkumar Hirani’s search for the right story continues

The journey of the beloved franchise began with the film ‘Munna Bhai MBBS’ in 2003, followed by the hugely successful film ‘Lage Raho Munna Bhai’ in 2006. Both the films received critical acclaim and built a loyal fan base, making expectations for the third installment exceptionally high.Rajkumar Hirani admitted that envisioning new adventures for Munna and Circuit was not difficult at all. The challenge, he says, is to create a story that remains equally engaging from beginning to end.Explaining the delay, he said, “If you just want to see Munna Bhai till the interval, I can do five films now. Because I don’t have the story beyond that point.”

Why does Rajkumar Hirani refuse to rush into the sequel?

Despite knowing that the third installment would generate massive excitement at the box office, Hirani insists that commercial success alone cannot be the reason behind making another film in the series.

“Honestly, I want to make one. Anyone else in my position would have said: ‘Just write any script, and it’ll have a huge opening and make a lot of money.’ But I don’t want to do that. We’ve made two great films. If I only cared about the money, I would have made four or five versions by now. It has to at least match the level of what we already have. That’s where I’m stuck,” he said.The director stressed that maintaining the quality set by the first two films remains his top priority.

Arshad Warsi reveals that there are actually three texts

Contrary to popular assumptions that the project lacks a script, Arshad Warsi revealed that multiple versions of the story have already been written.“There are actually three largely unfinished scripts out there. And all three are really better than most scripts I’ve ever heard – I’m not kidding. Each one of them has elements that grab your attention immediately. They shared ideas and the scenes are absolutely beautiful.”According to Warsi, each draft contains strong emotional and dramatic moments, but each still lacks the crucial element needed to complete the narrative. Arshad further explained that the development process was halted because the writers were looking for a perfect solution that would tie everything together.“It’s just missing that little connection, that little piece of the jigsaw puzzle. Once that’s in place, we’ll be ready to go.”

Otherwise, the end is missing somewhere, or the connection does not go smoothly. “Eventually he will find it,” he added. The actor remains confident that Hirani will finally break the formula and deliver a worthy continuation of the franchise.The unexpected success of GandhigiriDuring the conversation, Hirani also reflected on how some of the series’ most iconic moments turned into cultural phenomenon without any deliberate planning.“You don’t sit and write thinking that people will remember Jadu ki Jabi or Gandhigiri.” “If you start writing that way, it becomes very manipulative.”The director recalls how the team once thought that another dialogue from ‘Lage Raho Munna Bhai’ would become popular among audiences. However, it was the concept of Gandhigiri that unexpectedly resonated across the country and became part of popular culture.“We had a track where Lucky Singh is a corrupt builder who has to adapt to Gandhigiri. We wrote a line where Munna and Circuit say to him, ‘Whatever you usually do in life, do the exact opposite.’ We used that line several times in the film and thought it might become a popular catchphrase. To this day, I don’t think anyone remembers that dialogue! On the other hand, we thought the word Gandhigiri might not be very popular, but it became a huge phenomenon.”

“You just have to write with your gut and leave it at that,” he recalls.

Arshad’s funny memory of the playing field

One of the lighter moments in the discussion came when Arshad Warsi revealed that he barely remembered his performance once the project was completed.“I literally forgot about my job as soon as I finished shooting. Raju knows that in Munna Bhai 2 (‘Lage Raho Munna Bhai’), I had no idea how I would act! They had to show me the reel of the first film and say, ‘Son, look, I behaved like this,’ and then I literally had to imitate myself,” he joked.His candid confession left everyone amused and gave a glimpse into his easy acting style.

There remains hope that Mona and the ring will return

Although ‘Munna Bhai 3’ has not yet gone into production, Hirani confirmed that discussions are still ongoing with Sanjay Dutt, Arshad Warsi and writer Abhijat Joshi. The team continues to explore different ideas while searching for the final element that can elevate the film to the level that the audience expects.The film ended on an optimistic note, with Hirani reassuring fans that the beloved characters have not been abandoned.“At some point, it will definitely happen,” he added.For now, the wait continues, but the creators insist that ‘Munna Bhai 3’ is not shelved on the shelves and may finally bring together one of Indian cinema’s most loved duos on screen.