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Lage Raho Munnabhai
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'Lage Raho Munnabhai' Simply Superb

By Naresh Kumar Deoshi
Film critic, ApunKaChoice.Com

Bole to hats off to Vidhu Vinod Chopra and Rajkumar Hirani for making a film that is more than just a rip-roaring comedy. ‘Lage Raho Munnabhai’ makes you laugh, makes you cry and, parallel to all the entertainment, it gives a message that sticks in the mind. To say it in Munnabhai’s lingo – it creates “chemical locha” in the brain.

It is next to impossible not to like Munnabhai and his sidekick Circuit in their second innings. Almost three years after the loveable duo cured the incurable in Munnabhai MBBS , the street-savvy taporis find themselves face to face with Mahatma Gandhi’s ideology in ‘Lage Raho Munnabhai’.

As

Munna – the goon for whom breaking bones and abducting people is the way of life – comes face to face with Bapu, he discovers that it takes more courage to turn the other cheek than to hit back. Munna discovers that nothing works like compassion and non-violence. Following Mahatma Gandhi’s way, Munna not only triumphs over his enemies, but he also wins the love of the woman he so very longs for.

Once again, Sanjay Dutt plays the foul-mouthed, uneducated, but extremely good-hearted goon, and Arshad Warsi plays his inseparable friend.

While Circuit is busy doing abductions and forcing people from their properties, Munna spends his days listening to RJ Jhanvi (Vidya Balan) on the radio. Munna, hopelessly smitten with Jhanvi, gets an opportunity to be on her show after answering a number of questions on Mahatma Gandhi. However, to conceal his real identity, Munna lies to her that he is a professor of History. Impressed by the history teacher who speaks tapori language just to relate to today’s youths, Jhanvi invites Munna to her house to give a lecture on Gandhiji to her ‘children’.

Jhanvi runs a home called Second Innings in which old people who have been left by their children get a chance to restart their lives afresh. It is these old people whom Jhanvi calls her ‘children’.

Now, Munna is in a fix. To know about Gandhiji’s life and ideology, he goes to a library and begins reading books on the iconic figure for three days continuously. After three days, a miracle happens. Gandhiji appears and start talking to Munna.

Startled to see Gandhiji, Munna goes to a shrink and is told that there is some chemical locha (problem) in his brain.

However, Munna befriends Gandhiji, gives an excellent lecture at Jhanvi’s home and makes a place in everyone’s hearts, including Jhanvi’s.

Trouble starts when a builder named Lucky Singh (Boman Irani) wants to take over Jhanvi’s property. Ironically, both Munna and Circuit work for Lucky.

As the greedy builder makes his manipulative moves and acquires the property, Munna becomes his foe.

But with Gandhiji by his side, Munna renounces his old belligerent self and wins over his enemy in the most unexpected way.

Like in ‘Munnabhai MBBS’, in this film too Munna does the Good-Samaritan acts in his typical tapori style. Guided by Gandhiji, he doles out advices to people on Jhanvi’s radio show. He helps a financially ruined youth named Victor (Jimmy Shergill) to confess a bitter truth to his (Victor’s) father. He helps a runaway bride named Simran (Dia Mirza) to return to her father’s home in spite of the fact that the father happens to be none other than Lucky Singh.

And despite all his goodness, there are situations when Munna is scorned by people and labeled mentally disturbed. But armed with Gandhiji’s ideology, he triumphs in the end.

‘Lage Raho Munnabhai’ is a film that keeps you riveted to the screen from the very opening reels to its conclusion. The most exceptional thing about the film is the way it blends comedy with emotional moments.

Arshad Warsi’s impeccable comic timing, coupled with Sanjay Dutt’s light-humored slapstick, promises laughs aplenty for the viewers. And there are moments when the duo drives you to tears. For instance, the sequence when Sanjay slaps Arshad and later goes to apologize. Arshad proves in this sequence that he is not just an excellent comedian, but also a deft actor when it comes to serious moments.

Another good thing about the film is that Gandhiji’s ideology in it never sounds preachy. The film rather shows its soundness in a practical way. Dilip Prabhavalkar plays Gandhiji’s role in the most convincing way. He almost has an enlightened smile on his face throughout the movie.

‘Lage Raho Munnabhai’ doesn’t merely end as a Sanjay Dutt film. Although the actor takes to his role like a fish to the water and delivers yet another brilliant performance, ample footage is given to Vidya Balan, Arshad Warsi, Boman Irani and other actors as well.

Vidya Balan looks angelic with her mystifying smile, free-flowing hair and charming persona. Boman Irani is highly credible as a loud-mouthed Punjabi. Jimmy Shergill and Dia Mirza get their moments of limelight. Abhishek Bachchan makes a one-minute cameo.

To sum it up, ‘Lage Raho Munnabhai’ is one of the best movies to have come out of Bollywood this year. The script is exceptionally well written by Hirani and Abhijat Joshi. The background music complements the screenplay and the songs are not the least intrusive. Rajkumar Hirani’s direction yokes together all the elements of movie-making into a cohesive, meaningful and, above all, entertaining package called ‘Lage Raho Munnabhai’.

The film is a top-notch entertainer. There is not a single dull moment in it. A must-watch.

Carry on forever, Munnabhai.

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