| Lage Raho Munna Bhai | |
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster |
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| Directed by | Rajkumar Hirani |
| Produced by | Vidhu Vinod Chopra |
| Screenplay by | Rajkumar Hirani Abhijat Joshi |
| Story by | Rajkumar Hirani Vidhu Vinod Chopra |
| Starring | Sanjay Dutt Arshad Warsi Vidya Balan Boman Irani Dilip Prabhavalkar Dia Mirza Jimmy Shergill Kulbhushan Kharbanda Saurabh Shukla |
| Music by | Shantanu Moitra |
| Cinematography | C. K. Muraleedharan |
| Editing by | Rajkumar Hirani |
| Distributed by | Vinod Chopra Productions |
| Release date(s) | 1 September 2006[1] |
| Running time | 144 minutes |
| Country | India |
| Language | Hindi |
| Budget | 12 crore (US$2.28 million)[2] |
| Box office | 118.57 crore (US$22.53 million)[3] |
Lage Raho Munna Bhai (Hindi: लगे रहो मुन्नाभाई, pronounced [ləˈɡeː rəˈɦoː mʊnnaːˈbʱaːi] ( listen); English: Carry on Munna Brother) 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][6] As noted by critics,[6][7] 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.' "[7]
The film was generally well-received by both critics and the mass audience. It was a box office success and was elevated to a "blockbuster" rating on Box Office India after grossing over Rs. 720 million. It is the recipient of a number of awards, including four National Film Awards.[8][9] Lage Raho Munna Bhai is the first Hindi film to be shown at the United Nations,[10][11] and also played to a packed house of mostly French students who "clapped till the credits were finished" during the Tous Les Cinema du Monde section of the 2007 Cannes Film Festival.[12][13] The Prime Minister of India, Manmohan Singh, praised the film, stating that it "captures Bapu's message about the power of truth and humanism."[14]
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The central premise of the film rests upon the relationship between Munna Bhai (Sanjay Dutt) and the image of Mahatma Gandhi (portrayed by Dilip Prabhavalkar) who teaches him the principles of Gandhian philosophy. Munna is helped by his sidekick, Circuit (Arshad Warsi) who speaks with him 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 wherein he presents 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 at a Gandhi institute. For three days and nights (and without food or sleep), Munna reads about the life and ideologies of Gandhi.[15]
It is during this period that the image of Mahatma Gandhi (Dilip Prabhavalkar), addressed by his nickname "Bapu" ("father"), appears and offers help and advice to Munna. He encourages Munna to tell the truth about himself to Janhavi, but does not succeed for much of the film. Gandhi continues to appear each time Munna sings Raghupati Raghava Raja Ram (a song often sung in Gandhi's memory). With Gandhi's help, Munna succeeds in impressing Jahnavi and cultivates a new lifestyle based upon Gandhism (particularly adherence to non-violence and truth), which transforms everyone with whom he comes into contact. Munna starts to co-host a radio-show with Janhavi and Gandhi's image, guiding his audience to use Gandhigiri (a neologism for Gandhism) to solve everyday problems.
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).
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's audience to send Lucky flowers (red roses especially) to help him recover from the "disease of dishonesty". 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 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 the 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 order to shame him.
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.
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.[17] 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.[18] Director Rajkumar Hirani admitted that his work was deeply inspired by the films of Hrishikesh Mukherjee.[19]
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.
The 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.[20]
The thematic attention to Gandhi's theories in Lage Raho Munna Bhai revived an interest in Gandhism in India under the new term Gandhigiri[21] and "made Gandhi suddenly hip" with Indians "staging nonviolent protests, starting Web sites, handing out roses to enemies and putting on peaked white caps from the Gandhi era."[22] Arunabha Ghosh notes, "Gandhi, the man, was once the message. In the India of the post-liberalisation brand, gandhigiri is the message."[23] As chronicled by the International Herald Tribune article, "Does urbanized India have room for Gandhi?" (20 September 2006):
Mark Sappenfield of The Christian Science Monitor argues 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."[25] Swati Gauri Sharma further suggests in The Boston Globe that what the United States "needs is a film that encourages people to take up Gandhigiri, Kinggiri, or Kennedygiri. If it worked for Bollywood, it could work for Hollywood."[6]
After the release of the film, Gandhigiri-style protests began to take place in the United States and India.[4] In the United States during July 2007, Aman Kapoor, founder of the Immigration Voice forum,[26] initiated a Gandhigiri protest inspired by Lage Raho Munna Bhai.[27][28] Over a three day period, hundreds of flower bouquets were sent to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services office by Indians who were legally in the U.S. but caught in a green card backlog. In response, the USCIS shipped the flowers to the Walter Reed Army Medical Center and Bethesda Naval hospitals.[26] 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."[29][30][31]
There have also been a number of protests in India which were inspired by the film. Farmers staged a protest with flowers in the Vidarbha region,[32] 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.[33] 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.[34] 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."[35] The “Send Pramod Muthalik a Valentine’s Day card” campaign was inspired by the film.[36] Mafia don Babloo Srivastava claimed to have been inspired by Lago Raho Munna Bhai to distribute roses as a "message of love and peace".[37]
In 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.[38] Partial inspiration for the conference came from Lage Raho Munna Bhai.[39]
Lage Raho Munna Bhai also inspired a new interest in books about Gandhi.[40] In particular, demand for Gandhi's autobiography, My Experiments with Truth increased after the film debuted, including requests from prison inmates.[41][42] In addition, due to its influence, the film was made tax-free in Mumbai.[43]
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.[44] Rajkumar Hirani next began work on a film that was not related to the Munnabhai series but instead focused on a man who hallucinates about Gandhi. Hirani was in talks with Aamir Khan about the screenplay. However, after a period of time Hirani decided to combine this script with a pending sequel to Munna Bhai M.B.B.S. and thus Khan was dropped from the project. Khan and Hirani would instead team up a few years later for Three Idiots.[45]
The sequel was initially known as Munnabhai Meets Mahatma Gandhi and was later retitled Munnabhai 2nd Innings before being given its current name.[46][47] 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 currently 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,[48] a fact which inspired producer Chopra to involve Joshi in the creation of the second Munna Bhai screenplay.[48]
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.[48] 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.[49] 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.[50]
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".[49] 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.[49] 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.[49] 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".[51] Dilip Prabhavalkar, who portrays Gandhi in the film, did read Gandhi's works "once again" in order to prepare for his role.[52] 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.[53] Vidya Balan ("Jahnavi") also met with a couple of radio jockeys and watched them at work.[54]
Screened on 10 November 2006 in the United Nations auditorium, Lage Raho Munna Bhai was the first Hindi film to be shown at the UN.[10] The film was introduced by Shashi Tharoor, UN Under-Secretary General for Communications and Public Information. Taran Adarsh of Bollywood Hungama observed that, "there was thunderous clapping at the high points of the film, like the pensioner shedding his clothes. The applause at the end of the screening was unending. A vibrant question and answer session followed with director Rajkumar Hirani, writer Abhijat Joshi and actor Boman Irani, who flew to the U.S. for the screening."[55][56] The Indo-Asian News Service (IANS) also noted that, "an evening that had started with massive security arrangements in the sombre UN setting, concluded in a festive atmosphere in the lounge of the UN with diplomats from other tables joining in raising a toast for the film."[11] The United Nations General Assembly announced on 15 June 2007, that it had "unanimously adopted" a resolution which declared 2 October, the day of Gandhi's birth (Gandhi Jayanti, a national holiday in India) to be "the International Day of Non-Violence".[57]
In addition, the Prime Minister of India, Manmohan Singh, was given a private screening of Lage Raho Munna Bhai. After viewing the film, he stated that it "captures Bapu's message about the power of truth and humanism."[14] 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."[58] 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.[59]
Lage Raho Munna Bhai was further 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."[60]
It was also a part of the Tous Les Cinema du Monde section of the 2007 Cannes Film Festival. The film was well received as the audience 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."[12] 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."[13]
Several universities 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.[61][62] The film was also screened at Old Dominion University on 20 March 2007 (as a part of Old Dominion University and City of Norfolk ONFilm Festival),[63] the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Lecture Series Committee on 23 March & 24 March 2007,[64] and Harvard Law School on 3 April 2007 (as part of a series on nonviolence).[65]
Lage Raho Munna Bhai was an acclaimed film.[19][25] It received strong reviews from some of India's major critics. Subhash K. Jha (film critic and author of The Essential Guide to Bollywood) argues that "Munna and Circuit, arguably cinema's most adorable and roguish reformists since Laurel and Hardy go about the business of generating humour out of the pathos of the human condition. The sequences, all fiercely and famously path-breaking have us in splits [...] Watch the love-lorn Munnabhai answer a Gandhian quiz on a phone-in radio quiz with the help of kidnapped professors' it's one of the most comically animated sequences seen in the movies of the new millennium."[66] Taran Adarsh of Bollywood Hungama gave the film four out five stars, calling it "a sparkling example of qualitative cinema" arguing that it "not only entertains, it also enlightens."[67] Nikhat Kazmi of The Times of India 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..."[68] Rajeev Masand of CNN-IBN gave it four out of five stars and states: "Like those good old-fashioned Hrishikesh Mukherjee films, it also reinforces the importance of human goodness and basic niceties. Even if you might argue that some of Gandhi's principles seem outdated today, you cannot help but cheer for Munna and his gang as they achieve the impossible with love and kindness. And that is where this film transcends conventional boundaries. It entertains you, yes, but it also makes you yearn for a perfect world. Judge it by any yardstick that you may, Lage Raho Munnabhai emerges a clear winner. Much of that credit must go to its actors who pull out all stops to make it an enjoyable ride."[69]
Other critics liked it as well. Poonam Joshi of the BBC gave the film four out of five stars stating 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."[70] Vinayak Chakravorty of The Hindustan Times gave the film four out of four stars stating that it "cleverly works its way around the obvious hurdle that almost all sequels face: The film recreates an original milieu without a hint of the déjà vu downer. And that precisely ranks Munna Bhai 2 as one of the best entertainers this year." He also commended the film for showing "the heights Hindi cinema can scale despite staying within its masala parameters. Lage raho, guys." [71] Phelim O'Neill of The Guardian gave the film four out of five stars noting that, "as western romantic comedies become more vapid and even stalkerish, this delivers a credible message of peace, while never forgetting to be magnificent entertainment."[72] Shastri Ramachandaran of The Tribune wrote, "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."[7] Vaidyanathan from BBC declared that, "Lage Raho is not only as good as MBBS, but much better" calling it "a brilliant emotional roller coaster ride."[73] Jeremy Page of The Times discussed the enormous popularity of the film upon release and noted the "serious point [the film made] about the need for tolerance, restraint and self-sacrifice."[71]
Two of Gandhi's descendants responded positively to the film. According to Tushar Gandhi, Gandhi's great-grandson, it introduced the philosophies of Gandhi to a new generation, adding that "Bapu would've spoken the language of Gandhigiri if he were alive today. I really feel this film says something that needs to be told."[74] Gandhi's grandson, Rajmohan Gandhi thought that it was "fabulous" and commented that, "the Gandhi presented in the film was authentic. I couldn't get over the intuitive skill of the story writer in getting to the heart of this remarkable man. I must say, I was terribly impressed."[75]
Finally, filmmaker Kabir Khan cited Lage Raho Munna Bhai as a model film for him as it "had an issue, but it was never once in your face. Rajkumar Hirani kept it all so subtle and yet conveyed the message so well. It was as commercial as it gets and audiences too were thoroughly entertained. That's the way to make movies because it not just made all parties happy but also had a satisfied director at the end of it all."[76]
Other critics offered more negative reviews. 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' "[77] and S. Ganesh in Economic and Political Weekly adds that the film "trivialises Gandhi: history as farce."[78] Filmmaker Jahnu Barua was also critical of the film, stating that, "Gandhian philosophy is serious business and Lage Raho Munna Bhai is not the right way to show it."[79] Jug Suraiya of The Times of India wrote, "thanks to Munnabhai, at best what exists of Gandhism is Gandhigiri, a watered down, Dale Carnegie's How to Win Friends and Influence People version of the original."[80]
Lage Raho Munna Bhai was the third top grossing Bollywood film of 2006, according to boxofficeindia.com, earning Rs 69.97 crores (699 million) net gross in India alone (and has also been rated a "Blockbuster").[8] It was also financially successful overseas,[81] 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.[82]
Lage Raho Munna Bhai is the recipient of four National Film Awards and four awards for Best Film/Critics Best Film (Filmfare Critics Award for Best Movie, Bollywood Movie Award - Best Film, GIFA Best Film, Star Screen Award Best Film). It also won a number of other awards including best story and best dialogue in several award ceremonies. Some speculated that it would represent India as an entry for the 2007 Academy Award for Best Foreign Film.[61][62] Although ultimately losing to Rang De Basanti as India's official submission, the film's producers submitted it as an independent entry.[83] However, neither film received an Oscar nomination.[84]
The British DVD of Lage Raho Munna Bhai 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]
Lage Raho Munnabhai - The Original Screenplay was released in December 2009. Published by Om Books International in association with Vinod Chopra Films, it was launched at an event with the original cast and crew from the film. The text includes an introductory note by Abhijat Joshi which details the drafting of the screenplay. It also includes a number of stills from the film as well as character profiles.[86][87]
| Lage Raho Munna Bhai | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soundtrack album by Shantanu Moitra | ||||
| Released | July 2006 | |||
| Genre | Film soundtrack | |||
| Label | T-Series | |||
| Shantanu Moitra chronology | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Rediff | [88] |
| Bollywood Hungama | [89] |
Swanand Kirkire won the National Film Award for Best Lyrics in 2007[90] for the song "Bande Mein tha Dum."[15]
| No. | Title | Singers | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Lage Raho Munna Bhai" | Vinod Rathod | 4:25 |
| 2. | "Samjho Ho Hi Gaya" | Sanjay Dutt, Arshad Warsi, Vinod Rathod | 3:31 |
| 3. | "Aane Char Aane" | Karunya | 4:30 |
| 4. | "Pal Pal...Har Pal" | Sonu Nigam and Shreya Ghoshal | 4:32 |
| 5. | "Bande Mein Tha Dum...Vande Mataram" | Sonu Nigam, Shreya Ghoshal, Panab Biswas | 4:02 |
| 6. | "Bande Mein Tha Dum" (Instrumental) | 3:15 | |
| 7. | "Aane Char Aane" (Remix) | 3:55 | |
| 8. | "Lage Raho Munnabhai" (Remix) | Shaan | 4:18 |
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