“Lage Raho, Mamu Log” – Sanjay Dutt

After the extremely popular blockbuster Munnabhai MBBS, producer Vidhu Vinod Chopra and director Rajkumar Hirani return with Sanjay Dutt and Arshad Warsi in the most awaited movie of the year Lage Raho Munnabhai.

Here is a one on one with Murli Prasad Sharma a.k.a Munnabhai a.k.a Sanjay Dutt.

How did Munnabhai MBBS happen to Sanjay Dutt?
Vinod called me over and he said there is this role, will you do it? I said ya. He replied: ?Ok, then go and read the script upstairs?. So I went upstairs, had a couple of cigarettes for half an hour? and I came down and told him fantastic script. I had no clue about it. He wanted me to play the character of Zaheer. I said ?definitely.? And then next day he called me and asked me to come meet him. He asked me to do Munnabhai. I said ?Sir, I am doing Munnabhai?. That?s when he asked me to play Munnabhai and not Zaheer. I couldn?t believe it! He said ?Yesterday, when I saw you, I thought there’s nobody who can do Munnabhai except for you?. And I am so grateful and so honoured I got to do Munnabhai and I think this is one character who will live forever.

Did you ever imagine the film would make such a huge impact worldwide?
I will tell you this in 2-3 words. Everywhere in the world people call me Sanju baba. But after Munnabhai MBBS it all changed. They call me Munnabhai. So it?s that kind of an effect.

Why do you think it did so well?
Munnabhai MBBS is an honest film. You are not trying to prove a point. I feel that?s complete cinema. It?s so honest.

What did it feel like, doing a sequel?
See I didn?t have the kind of pressure that Raju must have had. For him to make a sequel and to make it better than MBBS was a big challenge. And you know how many drafts he went through. Munnabhai was a lawyer sometimes, and some thing else?. till the time this Gandhi thing came up. For him to even think and make a script like this is unbelievable. Vinod and him and whoever is involved, are unbelievable.

How does the sequel compare to the first one?
Lage Raho, like MBBS has a message of non-violence. It?s hilarious. It?s fun. It?s a full film I mean. It?s rare to see a film like that. A friend of mine in Chicago saw MBBS 200 times. And for him to say Lage Raho is even better than MBBS after watching a preview with me is unbelievable.

Can you tell us a little about the story?
Well, Munna falls in love with the voice of R.J. Jhanvi and cuts corners to meet her. Tells her he?s a professor of History. He needs someone to help him out of this lie. And he finds it. The rest you?ll have to watch.

Was the biggest challenge of acting in the sequel meeting up to the high expectations?
When you have a great team working with you, the task is not difficult. The director really knew what he wanted so I was able to make it happen for him. Since the chemistry between all of us was so nice, we could bounce ideas off each other when performing all the funny bits in the film.

You have such a natural chemistry with Arshad on screen, what is the secret behind it?
Arshad and I share a good chemistry off-screen as well. I think that?s very important. I really loved the dubbing sessions we had. We were having more fun than we had on set because we were able to watch our antics on the screen. Arshad and I laughed so much during some takes, that the dubbing operators became really annoyed with us. So I know for a fact that this film is funny and will blow your mind.

What?s your take on Munnabhai MBBS being remade in Hollywood?
Oh yeah! I wish they start shooting and I could be there on the sets, you know it would be a great moment for me just to be there? to see Chris Tucker be the Munna.

You?re more associated with action films, yet Munnabhai is seen by many as one of your career defining roles. What?s your opinion on that?
I do agree that I have played all kinds of characters. But I would love to do more great characters like Munna Bhai or even something more serious. An actor needs a role that he can really get into. Then the audience believes in the actor. I have achieved this a few times in my career where I felt like I was connecting with someone. It doesn?t really matter if the film is action or comedy or romance. The important thing is to have a character that people can believe.

You have done some of your best work with Vidhu Vinod Chopra, do you think he understands you better than other filmmakers?
Vinod is family. I mean when my father died he was the first person I called. I mean that?s how close he is to this family. And he loved Munnabhai more than anybody else. He’s so passionate about his work. He is so passionate, that we get inspired by it. To have that kind of conviction and guts is really amazing. He told me that ?Sanjay I will give it to you in writing that this movie is going to be one of your biggest movies.? You just need to see his passion. It?s unbelievable.

What ambitions do you have left?
I just want to continue working on projects as satisfying as Munnabhai.

You have one of the most loyal fan bases in the world, how much does their support mean to you?
It means so much, it?s unbelievable. The main thing that all actors look for is universal appreciation and when you have got such a loyal fan base, you know you?re doing the right thing. It is very touching for an actor.

You?re working with Vidya for the second time, what is she like as a leading lady?
She is a very talented actress and great to work with on set. She?s constantly playing pranks on people. She?s got an amazing screen presence and a beautiful voice. She is definitely going to be one of the top heroines in the industry very soon. I mean her debut film was produced by Vinod. That?s proof enough that she is talented.

You have been at the top for so long. What is your secret?
I just work for satisfaction. As an actor, I really want to challenge myself every time when I do a film. It doesn?t always work, but when it does it feels very good. With Munnabhai, because of the deep message and universal demand, I just know I?m doing something right.

Will there be a part three to Munnabhai?
I hope so. We had a few ideas on set. We?re working on expanding those out. But let?s wait and see.

Can you give a message to your fans?
Lage Raho, Mamu Log.