Oct 19, 2006 09:09 AM
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“Good Mooooooorning, Mumbai!” is the sugary greeting uttered by Janhavi every morning, that sweetly pierces Munnabhai’s heart causing the incurable disease ever in the world called love. It badly affects his business and instead of rolling the magazine of a pistol, he rolls the radio button to tune in to the station where Janhavi, his dream girl, in her velvety voice, spells magic. Lage Raho Munnabhai is the story of a humane don who falls in love with a radio jockey and leaves no stone unturned to impress her. Janhavi once declares a contest for the audience to commemorate Gandhi Jayanti wherein, she plans to ask few questions based on Bapu’s life and teachings. Munnabhai’s obedient friend-cum-aide, Circuit abducts 4 history professors to help Munnabhai win the contest so that he could meet Janhavi and express his love. Obviously, Munnabhai wins the contest and goes to the studio for the interview. In spite of Circuit’s innumerable warnings, he fumbles through the interview and tells a lie that he works as a History professor. Janhavi invites him to deliver a lecture on Bapu’s life at her residence where 6 elderly people, sidelined by the dear ones, live along with her father. Meanwhile, a devilish builder awards the contract of getting Janhavi’s old bungalow vacated to Circuit. What happens next is the feast to be enjoyed onscreen.
Rajkumar Hirani has succeeded in taking the pulse of the frontbenchers as well as the multiplex crowd equally. This movie is not a sequel to Munnabhai MBBS. In the screenplay department, Lage Raho Munnabhai has some glaring flaws. Director and screenplay writer’s attempt to camouflage the message in a hilarious milieu is definitely worth applause but at times, both, the writer and the director, go overboard in order to underline the message and ultimately miss out on the comic texture of the storyline. Both have succeeded in creating lumps in the audiences’ throats. Dialogues are crisp and innovative. The scenes when Munnabhai goes to the studio and exhorts the villain’s daughter to go back home where her marriage celebrations are on and on top of that, he himself goes to the venue to convince her would-be-father-in-law, appear far-fetched and superfluous.
On the acting front, all have performed extremely well. Arshad Warsi is just amazing. He has carved a niche for himself now. Sanjay Dutt is also good in Munnabhai’s role. Dilip Prabhawalkar scores high points in Bapu’s role. Vidya Balan looks pretty and she has given what was expected out of her. Bomman Irani is appropriate in the greedy builder’s role. The entire Munnabhai MBBS team sans Gracy Singh, Sunil Dutt, Rohini Hattangadi and Yatin Karyekar is seen in this film as well. They all have performed well.
Except “Pal pal pal”, there is not a single song that can please the music lovers. Title song is mediocre.
"Lage Raho Munnabhai" has definitely succeeded in rekindling people's belief in the principles practiced and taught by Mahatma Gandhi throughout his life. The movie came when most of the Indians, including the politicians, were on the verge of being completely oblivious towards the teachings of this great soul.
On the whole, Lage Raho Munnabhai is a must watch if you want to experience how one can nicely mix entertainment with education.
Lage Raho Munnabhai
Producer – Vidhu Vinod Chopra
Production House – VC Films
Director – Rajkumar Hirani
Music – Shantanu Moitra
Lyrics – Swanand Kirkire
Cast – Sanjay Dutt, Arshad Warsi, Vidya Balan, Bomman Irani, Dilip Prabhawalkar, Diya Mirza, Kuroosh Deboo, Atmaram Bhende, Kulbhushan Kharabanda, Pushkar Shrotri, Uday Sabnis, Kishor Pradhan, Jimmy Shergill, Parikshit Sahani, Saurabh Shukla
