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Lage Raho Munna Bhai (Hindi: लगे रहो मुन्नाभाई , IPA: [ləgeː ɾəhoː mʊnːaːbɦaːɪ]; English: Carry on Munna Bhai) is a 2006 Indian musical comedy film directed by Rajkumar Hirani and produced by Vidhu Vinod Chopra. It is the second film in the popular Munna Bhai series of Bollywood. Sanjay Dutt stars in this film as Munna Bhai, a Mumbai (Bombay) underworld don, who begins to see the spirit of Mahatma Gandhi. Through his interactions with the image of Gandhi, Munna Bhai begins to practice what he calls Gandhigiri (Satyagraha, non-violence, and truth) to help ordinary people solve their problems. His sidekick, Circuit, is portrayed by Arshad Warsi. Lage Raho Munna Bhai has had a strong cultural impact in India, popularising Gandhism under Munna Bhai's notion of Gandhigiri.[4][5] As noted by critics,[5][6] the film has "stirred the popular imagination", leading to a number of Gandhigiri protests in India and in the United States: "For generations born after Gandhi's assassination, Munnabhai, the eponymous hero of the film, has rendered “Gandhism” passé and “Gandhian” arcane. The new buzzword is “Gandhigiri”, a value, and valuable, addition to the lexicon of a culture suffused with every abominable kind of “Dadagiri” and “Goondagiri”.[6] The film was generally well received by both the critics and mass audience. It was a box office success and was elevated to a blockbuster rating (grossing over 720 million Indian Rupees),[7]. The film received a number of awards, including four National Film Awards of India.[8] It is the first Hindi film to be shown in the United Nations.[9] and won popular accolades at various International film festivals including Cannes Film Festival, 2007 edition [10][11]. It was praised by the Prime Minister of India, Manmohan Singh, who stated (using Gandhi's nickname, "Bapu" or father) that the film "captures Bapu's message about the power of truth and humanism."[12]
PlotThe central protagonist, Munna Bhai (Sanjay Dutt), interacts with an image of Mahatma Gandhi and learns the principles of Gandhian philosophy in Lage Raho Munna Bhai. He is helped by his sidekick, Circuit (Arshad Warsi). They both speak in Bambaiya Hindi, a dialect specific to the Indian city of Mumbai. At the beginning of the story, Munna is in love with the voice of Janhavi (Vidya Balan), a radio jockey. He devises a plan to meet her when she announces a contest featuring the life and beliefs of Mahatma Gandhi set for 2 October—Gandhi Jayanti, a national holiday celebrating the birth of Gandhi. Circuit helps Munna win the contest by kidnapping and then bribing a group of professors. As the winner, Munna is granted an interview with Janhavi where he lies to her, presenting himself as a professor of history and a Gandhi specialist. Janhavi subsequently asks Munna to present a lecture on Gandhi to a community of senior citizens who live in her home, called the "Second Innings House". In order to prepare for this event, Munna engages in a period of intense study, wherein he studies for 3 days and 3 nights without sleep, of the life and works of Gandhi.
Several subplots in the film highlight the power of Gandhigiri. One of the most prominent of these details the story of Lucky Singh (Boman Irani) and his daughter Simran (Dia Mirza). Lucky is an unscrupulous businessman who employs Circuit and Munna Bhai to conduct "underworld" activities for him. His daughter, Simran, is engaged to marry Sunny (Abhishek Bachchan), the son of the powerful businessman Kkhurana (Kulbhushan Kharbanda). Kkhurana is superstitious and his activities are controlled by his astrologer, Batuk Maharaj (Saurabh Shukla), whose particular use of numerology led Kkhurana to add an extra "K" to his real name (Khurana) as well as to the conclusion that the "Second Innings House" would be the most auspicious place for Sunny and Simran to live. Maharaj also convinces Kkhurana to reject the marriage between Simran and Sunny when it is revealed that Simran is considered to be a manglik (an individual whose Vedic astrological makeup is believed by some to be devastating for marriage, mostly leading to the death of the spouse after a certain calculated period of marriage). Meanwhile, Lucky appropriates the "Second Innings House" by sending Munna to Goa (keeping him out of the way) and then blackmailing him to let the matter pass or risk losing his love Janhavi. In response, Munna launches a "non-violent" protest to reclaim the house. He calls this protest "Get Well Soon, Lucky" and asks his radio show audience to send Lucky flowers (red roses especially) to help him recover from the "disease of dishonesty". Munna, Circuit, Janhavi, and the senior citizens of "Second Innings House" begin a peaceful satyagraha in front of Lucky's house. It is during this time that Munna decides to tell Janhavi the truth (via a letter he gives to her). Heartbroken, Janhavi leaves Munna. Munna receives another setback when he is tricked by Lucky into revealing his conversations with Gandhi before a public audience. At this conference, he finds that only after he has learned something about "Bapu"'s life can the Gandhi image talk about it, which serves as proof for a psychiatrist in the audience that Munna is delusional. Gandhi's monologue at the end of the film, however, questions this conclusion. Munna, despite these defeats, continues to use Gandhigiri, a decision which transforms Lucky, revives Janhavi's affection, and resolves Simran's marriage. Lucky Singh, himself, eventually becomes a student of "Gandhigiri" and is greeted by Gandhi's image not long after he has begun to study "Bapu"'s life. Immediately he calls for a photograph to be taken of them together; this perplexes the photographer, who cannot see the Gandhi image. Additional subplots include the story of Victor D'Souza (Jimmy Shergill), a youth who, having lost his father's (Parikshat Sahni) money in stock market, promises to earn back the money by working as a taxi driver. Both Victor and his father are advised over the telephone and over the radio by Munna during this interaction. It is Victor who returns Simran to her family when she had fled to escape her father's shame and had heard the advice of Munna. Another includes the story of a retired teacher who, having been denied his pension, offers everything he owns to the corrupt official in the pension office. In this manner, the application of Gandhi's concept of satyagraha (non-violence) to day-to-day modern life (and thus the revival of Gandhi's "spirit") was the central thematic issue of the film. The film also tackled issues related to social justice such as the impact of superstitions caused by astrology and numerology on daily life. Khurana's own soothsayer is disgraced when Munnabhai challenges him to foretell his own future. Cast
Production
The Munna Bhai series began after Vidhu Vinod Chopra agreed to produce Rajkumar Hirani's film Munna Bhai M.B.B.S. when no one else would (Hirani had worked as an editor on Chopra's Mission Kashmir). They also collaborated on the script for the film.[13] Munna Bhai M.B.B.S. was a runaway success that prompted the duo to contemplate a sequel. The sequel was initially known as Munnabhai Meets Mahatma Gandhi and was later retitled Munnabhai 2nd Innings before being given its current name.[14][15] Film director and screenwriter Rajkumar Hirani admitted in an interview that he felt the burden of expectation while writing the screenplay for Lage Raho Munna Bhai, as he had to create "something to match" the first film.[16] Initially there was some effort to incorporate scenes or particulars of the first film into the sequel (such as the idiosyncratic laugh of Dr. Asthana, portrayed by Boman Irani), but the risks of repetition were then consciously averted.[16] One of Hirani's goals in making the film was to revive an interest in Mahatma Gandhi, a figure whom he felt had been forgotten in contemporary India. To highlight this fact, Hirani recounted (during an interview) an incident with a chai-wallah boy (a boy who brings tea to the crew) during production:
The other screenwriter, Abhijat Joshi (who teaches in the department of English at Otterbein College in Westerville, Ohio), stated that he had been conducting extensive research on Gandhi for some time,[18] a fact which inspired producer Chopra to involve Joshi in the creation of the second Munna Bhai screenplay.[18] While writing the screenplay, Hirani and Joshi stayed together for more than four months. They developed scenes by going out for a walk and discussing the scene. They would not return home until they had created a scene that would make them laugh, or cry, or had some provocative thought.[18] While there was a shortage of resources during the shooting of Munna Bhai M.B.B.S., the crew did not encounter a financial crisis during the filming of Lage Raho Munna Bhai, as the team managed to receive whatever was deemed necessary (including a Jimmy Jib, a specific kind of camera crane, just for a single crane shot).[16] The film was shot on location in and around Mumbai, with Goa as a backdrop for the filming of the "Aane Charaane" song.[16] Only two characters—those of Munna Bhai (portrayed by Sanjay Dutt) and Circuit (portrayed by Arshad Warsi)—were retained from Munna Bhai M.B.B.S. Several actors, also from Munna Bhai M.B.B.S., appeared in Lage Raho Munna Bhai but as different characters.[19] Vidya Balan was chosen to play the leading lady in the film as her voice was thought to be appropriate for that of a radio jockey.[20] The actors used several techniques to develop their characters. Arshad Warsi ("Circuit") encountered some initial problems reviving his character from the first film. On the first day of the shoot when Arshad, "said his first line, he didn't sound like Circuit at all. He sounded like Arshad Warsi speaking with an accent".[19] Warsi admits that he had "forgotten" the character of Circuit and had to watch the DVD of Munna Bhai M.B.B.S. three times before being able to film the scene in the correct way.[19] Sanjay Dutt ("Munna Bhai") also confessed that he had to watch the first film eight to nine times in order to recapture the "persona" of Munna Bhai.[19] In addition, Dutt stated in an interview that he did not read Gandhi's autobiography My Experiments with Truth as a preparation for Lage Raho Munna Bhai. Rather, he comments, both his father, Sunil Dutt (who portrays Munna Bhai's father in the first film, Munna Bhai M.B.B.S.) and his mother (the late actress Nargis) were his role models as they "were basically Gandhians. We were brought up with those values".[21] Dilip Prabhavalkar, who portrays Gandhi in the film, did read Gandhi "once again" in order to prepare for his role.[22][dead link] Boman Irani prepared for the role of Lucky Singh by spending time with Sardarjis (male Sikhs) in auto spare parts shops to research his role.[23] Vidya Balan ("Jahnavi") also met with a couple of radio jockeys and watched them at work.[24] Influences and allusions
Rather than follow the traditional sequel format, each film in the Munna Bhai series features Munna and Circuit in a story which is comprehensive unto itself and is not continued or referred to in another film in the series. Indeed, director Rajkumar Hirani has compared this format to the films of Charlie Chaplin and Laurel and Hardy, as well as to the James Bond series.[16] Others have also likened the series to the work of Laurel and Hardy.[25] Some, however, have negated this comparison, stating that the series is more akin to the Road to... "buddy films" of Bob Hope and Bing Crosby.[26] Director Rajkumar Hirani admitted that his work was deeply inspired by the films of Hrishikesh Mukherjee.[17] Cinematic works by Vidhu Vinod Chopra (such as Parineeta) often contain allusions to other important films and works of music or literature. In Lage Raho Munna Bhai, Jahnavi's opening line for her radio show, "Gooooooood Moooooooorninnnng Mumbai!", resembles Robin Williams' opening for his radio show ("Gooooooooood morning, Vietnaaaaaaaaammm!") in the 1987 film Good Morning, Vietnam.[27][28] Critics have also noted similarity with the 1977 film Oh, God!, in which God appears as a kindly old man to the protagonist.[28] In addition, parts of the melody of the song "Pal Pal...Har Pal" are reminiscent of the Cliff Richard song "Theme for a Dream".[29] ReceptionBox office and ratings
Lage Raho Munna Bhai is the third top grossing Bollywood film of the 21st century, according to boxofficeindia.com, earning Rs 69.97 crores (699 million) net gross in India alone (and has also been rated a "Blockbuster").[7] It has also been financially successful overseas,[30] earning Rs 7 crores (70 million) gross in the United Kingdom, Rs 10.25 crores (102 million) gross in North America, and Rs 4.25 crores (42 million) gross for the rest of the overseas proceeds.[31] The film was rated as "U" (Universal: Suitable for all ages) by the Central Board of Film Certification of India[32] and PG–13 by the Motion Picture Association of America.[32] Similar ratings were awarded in other countries such as Australia and the UK.[33][34] Reviews and critiquesLage Raho Munna Bhai has received high praise from many critics,[17] particularly Poonam Joshi of the BBC who notes that "everything about this film works [...] It's rare to see a film that bounces between humour and sentiment so seamlessly. And it is rarer still to see characters become etched in the memory so enduringly that audiences become almost protective of them. It's testimony both to the quality of the writing and the performances, that Munna and Circuit have taken on a life of their own."[35] Phelim O'Neill of the The Guardian supports this view, stating "as western romantic comedies become more vapid and even stalkerish, this delivers a credible message of peace, while never forgetting to be magnificent entertainment."[36] Nikhat Kazmi of The Times of India also observes that "Vidhu Vinod Chopra gives the great Indian family one more let's-go-goodwill-hunting entertainer, even as director Raju Hirani proves that sequels needn't have the been there-done that feel..."[37] Furthermore Sparn Verma of Rediff.com adds that "we live in a cynical world, but even in such times, sometimes a person, book or film comes along and shows you a tiny crack in the wall behind which there is a lot of light, and suddenly your heart is full of happiness. Lage Raho Munnabhai is one such film that makes you laugh, makes you cry, and also makes you feel good to be a human being."[38] Taran Adarsh in "IndiaFM.com" (via Yahoo! India) cites Lage Raho Munna Bhai as "a sparkling example of qualitative cinema" arguing that it "not only entertains, it also enlightens."[39] Sarita Tanwar states in a review for Mid-Day, "Lage Raho... is just what this generation needs, a revival of values and ideals without being preachy. The film's impact is far greater than all the textbooks you've read (and forgotten) in school. Mahatma Gandhi is back — and well, what a comeback."[40] Shastri Ramachandaran further notes, "True, there have been memorable films on Mahatma Gandhi by distinguished directors, namely Richard Attenborough and Shyam Benegal; one offering a respectful cinematic acquaintance and the other being didactic but inspiring. For all their earnestness, neither film stirred the popular imagination like LRM has done now."[6] Others disagree. Ajit Duara argues in The Hindu that "the accomplished cultural sophistication and political genius of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi has to be dumbed down to the astoundingly moronic levels of 'Lage Raho Munnabhai' "[41] and S. Ganesh in The Economic and Political Weekly adds that the film "trivialises Gandhi: history as farce".[42] A blurb in the LA Weekly film review section by David Chute notes a preference for Munna Bhai M.B.B.S. over Lage Raho Munna Bhai, stating that "this odd-duck sequel to one of Bollywood's smartest recent crowd pleasers edges perilously close to repudiating the beloved original"[43] while filmmaker Jahnu Barua notes, "Gandhian philosophy is serious business and Lage Raho Munna Bhai is not the right way to show it."[44] AwardsLage Raho Munna Bhai is the recipient of many awards including four National Film Awards and four for Best Film/Critics Best Film. Rajkumar Hirani won Best Director award in Broadcast India 2006 Awards for Excellence in Film & Television,[45] and in 2007 IIFA Awards.[46] The film also won other awards including best story and best dialogue in several award ceremonies. High profile screeningsUnited NationsScreened on 10 November 2006 in the United Nations auditorium, Lage Raho Munna Bhai was the first Hindi film to be shown at the UN. The film was introduced by Shashi Tharoor, UN Under-Secretary General for Communications and Public Information. Rajkumar Hirani, Abhijat Joshi and actor Boman Irani (Lucky Singh) entertained questions afterwards. Lage Raho Munna Bhai was well received by the audience of diplomats and journalists as it was "an evening that had started with massive security arrangements in the sombre UN setting, [and] concluded in a festive atmosphere in the lounge of the UN with diplomats from other tables joining in raising a toast for the film."[9] On 15 June 2007, it was announced that the United Nations General Assembly had "unanimously adopted" a resolution which has declared 2 October (Gandhi's birthday, a national holiday in India) to be "the International Day of Non-Violence".[47] 2007 Cannes film festivalLage Raho Munna Bhai was well received at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival. It was screened with French subtitles to an audience who had lined "up in long queues to catch the film that had been strongly recommended in festival reviews [...] not one person who entered the screening left before the end of the two-hours-thirty-minutes film."[48] In addition, "the screening of the movie at the festival saw people sitting on the aisles as the theatre was completely packed [...] there was also a big group of French students that clapped till the credits were finished."[49] Indian Prime Minister and Gandhi's descendantsThe Prime Minister of India, Manmohan Singh, was given a private screening of Lage Raho Munna Bhai. After viewing the film, he stated that the film "captures Bapu's message about the power of truth and humanism."[12] In a speech during his visit to South Africa, Singh said, "I was heartened to see recently that back home in India the most popular movie this festival season is a film about a young man's discovery of the universal and timeless relevance of the Mahatma's message."[50] Tushar Gandhi, Gandhi's great-grandson, stated in an interview that Lage Raho Munna Bhai has introduced the philosophies of Gandhi to a new generation.[51] Gandhi's grandson, Rajmohan Gandhi, also stated in an article that Gandhi would have enjoyed Lage Raho Munna Bhai.[52] Global summit and university screeningsLage Raho Munna Bhai also screened at a global judiciary summit in Lucknow in December 2006. After viewing the film, Justice Kenneth Mithyane from South Africa commented, "The movie has re-enlivened the non-violence philosophy practiced by Mahatma Gandhi who continues to remain close to the hearts of the South Africans." Fatima Chouhan, a young member of the South African parliament, noted that, "'Munnabhai' will be widely appreciated in South Africa. I'm carrying a couple of video discs for my family and friends."[53] Several universities have also held screenings of the film. It was shown as part of the 27 October 2006 film festival Melodramas Of Change: USC's First Indian Film Festival, organised by the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts. The screening was followed by a question and answer session with Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Rajkumar Hirani, and Abhijat Joshi. Filmmaker Gurinder Chadha also attended and spoke at the conclusion of the question and answer session.[54][55] The film was also screened by Concordia University on 26 January 2007,[56] Old Dominion University on 20 March 2007 (as a part of Old Dominion University and City of Norfolk ONFilm Festival),[57] the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Lecture Series Committee on 23 March & 24 March 2007,[58] and Harvard Law School on 3 April 2007 (as part of a series on nonviolence).[59] Social and cultural impactOverviewThe decision to include Mahatma Gandhi as a central character in the film introduces, through his interactions with Munna Bhai, important thematic concepts and ideas that draw upon the period of Colonial India and the Indian independence movement. Gandhi was a leader in this movement, challenging the British Empire's presence in India through the use of Satyagraha (non-violence). In this context, Jahnavi and Munna Bhai's non-violent protest against Lucky Singh serves as a metaphor for the Indian independence movement and the battle against the British Raj. [60] The thematic attention to Gandhi's theories in Lage Raho Munna Bhai revived an interest in Gandhism in India under the new term Gandhigiri[4] and has likewise "made Gandhi suddenly hip. Inspired by the hit movie, Indians are increasingly embracing his philosophy, staging nonviolent protests, starting Web sites, handing out roses to enemies and putting on peaked white caps from the Gandhi era."[61] Arunabha Ghosh notes, "Gandhi, the man, was once the message. In the India of the post-liberalisation brand, gandhigiri is the message."[62] Several websites and internet forums were created, encouraging people to return to the Gandhian philosophy.[63] As chronicled by the International Herald Tribune article, "Does urbanized India have room for Gandhi?" (20 September 2006):
. According to The Christian Science Monitor, argued that the film was appealing because, "Gandhi gets his hands dirty. He appears as an apparition only visible to the wayward gangster, counselling him on how to help others deal with everyday problems"[65]. In light of this, a 13 October 2006 article in The Boston Globe argued, "What America needs is a film that encourages people to take up Gandhigiri, Kinggiri, or Kennedygiri. If it worked for Bollywood, it could work for Hollywood"[5]. Gandhigiri-style protests
After the release of the film, there were some Gandhigiri-style protests. In the United States during July 2007, hundreds of flower bouquets were sent to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services office by individuals who were legally in the U.S. but caught in a green card backlog, an act attributed by some to Lage Raho Munna Bhai.[66] In response, the USCIS shipped the flowers to the Walter Reed Army Medical Center and Bethesda Naval hospitals. In addition, Producer Vidhu Vinod Chopra commented that, "Mahatma Gandhi has influenced several personalities, including American Civil Rights Leader Martin Luther King, Jr. These young, law-abiding professionals have set out to strive for reform the right way – the Gandhigiri way." Director Rajkumar Hirani also noted that "when you feel you have been wronged, you feel angry. The best way to overcome what you think is unjust, is to protest peacefully. Be nice to your opponent and let him see your point of view. My well-wishes go out to these educated, highly-skilled professionals who have abided by the law and have been eagerly waiting in line for their green cards for nearly ten years."[67][68] On 17 July, the USCIS announced that "it will accept applications from foreign professionals seeking permanent residency through an expedited process, reversing its earlier decision." USCIS Director Emilio T. Gonzalez noted, "The public reaction to the July 2 announcement made it clear that the federal government's management of this process needs further review [...] I am committed to working with Congress and the State Department to implement a more efficient system in line with public expectations."[69] 
There were also protests in India which were inspired by the film. Farmers staged a protest with flowers in the Vidarbha region,[70] and people who organised a protest in Lucknow claimed to have been inspired by Lage Raho Munna Bhai to use roses to convey their message.[71] Indian Greenpeace activists delivered thousands of roses to Ratan Tata, Chairman of Tata Motors, to reconsider his plans of building a port at the nesting grounds of Olive Ridley sea turtles.[72] In Lucknow, students claimed to have been inspired by Lage Raho Munna Bhai to do volunteer work, planting trees "to conserve nature which is bound to benefit public health."[73] Mafia don Babloo Srivastava claimed to have been inspired by Lago Raho Munna Bhai to distribute roses as a "message of love and peace".[74] Political and social influenceIn New Delhi, on 29 January and 30 January 2007, a two-day conference (which included about 400 world leaders) to celebrate the 100th anniversary of satyagraha in South Africa was held.[75] Partial inspiration for the conference came from Lage Raho Munna Bhai.[76] The Prime Minister of India, Manmohan Singh, announced the creation of a new Public Services Bill to combat corruption in a press release dated 17 November 2006, and cited Lage Raho Munna Bhai as one of its influences.[77] Lage Raho Munna Bhai also inspired a new interest in books about Gandhi,[78] including requests for copies of Gandhi's autobiography, My Experiments with Truth, from prison inmates.[79] In addition, due to its influence, the film was made tax-free in Delhi, Chhattisgarh, Mumbai and Uttar Pradesh.[80][81][82][83] Soundtrack and DVD
SoundtrackThe soundtrack was released in July 2006 and features five compositions: Lage Raho Munna Bhai, Samjho Ho Hi Gaya, Aane Char Aane, Bande Mein Tha Dum...Vande Mataram and Pal Pal...Har Pal as well as remixes of Lage Raho Munna Bhai and Aane Char Aane and an instrumental version of Bande Mein Tha Dum. DVDThe DVD of Lage Raho Munna Bhai is distributed by Eros Entertainment.[84] It contains a bonus DVD which has a 98-minute 5-part documentary on the making of the film, interviews with members of the cast and crew, and information on the creation of the song and dance numbers. It also has a special feature called "Munna meets Bapu".[85] According to the DVD Times, some have criticised the sound and visual quality of the DVD.[86] See alsoReferences
Notes
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