Lage Raho Munnabhai

Munnabhai meets Mahatma Gandhi. This was the title orignally chosen for the movie. Too paradoxical yet too befitting. Just try to picture it. On one hand there is Munnabhai, a local bhai who with his right hand Circuit knows only one way to justice. Khopche mein le jaa ke kharcha paani. On the other hand, you have Father of the nation, who had only one weapon, non-violence. Can these two go together? Yes they do and do it well.

Munnabhai is in love with RJ Jahnavi (Vidya Balan) (who BTW is jockey on Worldspace Radio and still you can hear her on most of the radio set for free.. yuppie..!!!) and ends up making her think that he knows a hell lot about Gandhiji and finds himself in trouble and that's when father of the nation himself comes to his resuce. Jahnavi has her own set of troubles which she needs to deal with aid of Munnabhai, the history Professor. Can Father of the nation help him? Can Munna get out of grave trouble he is in? Watch it to see it.

Lage Raho Munnabhai works and how? Writers for this movie had huge task at their hands. First movie was a blockbuster and one of the biggest hit of the year and they had to deal with huge pressure that naturally comes with a sequel of big-time movie, which most of the sequels fail to handle. Lage Raho Munnabhai comes out with shining colors. It gets even bigger and better than the original, I daresay. It's always tough to combine a comedy with a message and making sure that you don't get preachy and didactic at it. Making sure that your script is emotional but at the same time not sentimental. Munnabhai simply just does that. There is a Gandhi in all of us. We just don't know it or may be we don't care to know about it. It's not that big a deal if you just come face-to-face with it. Job well done Hirani. As Sarika, puts it aptly in the words.

People miss honesty
They miss
it by miles
People miss honesty
And they don't even realize.

Munna-Circuit chemistry is as good as the first one. They make you laugh with their jokes and one liners all the time. When you watch Sanjay Dutt and Arshad Warsi on the screen, you feel like they must have been born as Munna and Circuit and not the other way around. They have immortalized this pair. Vidya Balan continues to impress me. She was like a seasoned actress in her debut Parineeta as a typical Bengali girl and this time around she enthralls you as a youthful urban girl. IMHO, she is one of the biggest difference between first two films. She brings out the charm on the screen which Gracy Singh failed to. Boman Irani continues to impress as an evil builder. It is unfortunate for Hindi film industry that such a talented actor remained hidden until Munnabhai MBBS brought him in the limelight.

Lage Raho Munnabhai. We want more..!!!

(Cross-posted to InFiCA)