‘Munna Bhai 3’ NOT going away, Rajkumar Hirani opens up on biggest hurdle: ‘It has to match the standard of what we already have’ | Hindi Movie News
For nearly two decades, fans have eagerly awaited the return of Sanjay Duttis Munna and Arshad Warsicircuit of While speculations about the fate of ‘Munna Bhai 3’ have surfaced repeatedly over the years, the filmmaker Rajkumar Hirani and actor Arshad Warsi have now clarified that the project is very much alive and still in active development.According to Hindustan Times, speaking during the promotions of their upcoming streaming venture ‘Pritam and Pedro’, the duo revealed that the problem is not lack of ideas but finding the perfect story that can live up to the legacy of the franchise.
Rajkumar Hirani’s search for the right story continues
The journey of the beloved franchise began with ‘Munna Bhai MBBS’ in 2003, followed by the blockbuster ‘Lage Raho Munna Bhai’ in 2006. Both films garnered critical acclaim and built a loyal fan base, making expectations for a third installment exceptionally high.Rajkumar Hirani admitted that conceptualizing new ventures for Munna and Circuit has never been difficult. The challenge, he says, is to create a narrative that remains equally engaging from start to finish.Explaining the delay, he said, “If you just want to watch Munna Bhai till the interval, I can do five films right now. Because I don’t have the story beyond that point.”
Why Rajkumar Hirani refuses to rush a sequel
Despite knowing that a third installment would generate a lot of excitement at the box office, Hirani insists that commercial success alone cannot be the reason to make another film in the franchise.“I really want to do one. Anyone else in my position could have said, ‘Write any script, it’s going to get a massive opening and make solid money’. But I don’t want to do that. We made two great movies; if I only cared about the money, I’d have done four or five versions by now. It has to at least match the standard of what we already have. That’s where I get stuck,” he said.The filmmaker has emphasized that maintaining the quality established by the first two films remains his highest priority.
Arshad Warsi reveals that three scripts already exist
Contrary to widespread assumptions that the project is unscripted, Arshad Warsi revealed that several versions of the story have already been written.“There are actually three almost unfinished scripts sitting there. And all three are actually better than most scripts I’ve ever heard, I’m not kidding. Each one has elements that immediately grab your attention. The thoughts and the scenes are absolutely beautiful,” he shared.According to Warsi, each draft has strong emotional and dramatic moments, but each still lacks a crucial element needed to complete the narrative. Arshad further explained that the development process has stopped because the writers are looking for a perfect resolution that ties everything together.“It’s just missing one little connection, one little piece of the puzzle. Once it falls into place, we’ll be good to go. Otherwise, somewhere the end is missing or it’s not connecting smoothly. Eventually, he will find it,” he added. The actor remains confident that Hirani will eventually 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 franchise’s most iconic moments became cultural phenomena without any deliberate planning.“You don’t sit down to write thinking, ‘People will remember Jaadu ki Jhappi or Gandhigiri’. If you start writing like that, it becomes very manipulative,” he said.The director recalled how the team believed that another dialogue from ‘Lage Raho Munna Bhai’ would become popular with the audience. 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 and has to adapt to Gandhigiri. We wrote a line where Munna and Circuit tell him, ‘Whatever you normally do in life, do the exact opposite’. We used that line a couple of times in the film and thought it might be a catchphrase. To this day, I don’t think a single person remembers that dialogue! On the other hand, we thought the word Gandhigiri might not be understood, but it became in a massive phenomenon. You just have to write with your gut and leave it at that,” he recalled.
Arshad’s hilarious recollection of the gambling circuit
One of the lighter moments of the discussion came when Arshad Warsi revealed that he barely remembers his performances after a project is over.“I literally forget my work immediately after finishing a shoot. Raju knows that for Munna Bhai 2 (‘Lage Raho Munna Bhai’) I had no idea how I acted! They had to show me the tape of the first film and say, ‘Son, look, you acted like that’, and then I had to literally imitate myself,” he joked.His candid confession left everyone amused and offered a glimpse into his easy-going approach.
There remains hope for the return of Munna and circuit
While “Munna Bhai 3” is yet to go into production, Hirani confirmed that discussions are still ongoing with Sanjay Dutt, Arshad Warsi and writer Abhijat Joshi. The team continues to explore various ideas while searching for the final ingredient that can elevate the film to the level expected by the audience.Ending on an upbeat note, Hirani assured fans that the beloved characters have not been abandoned.“At some point, it’s definitely going to happen,” he said.For now, the wait continues, but the makers insist that ‘Munna Bhai 3’ is far from being shelved and could finally reunite one of Hindi cinema’s most loved duos on screen.
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