Movie Review : Lage Raho Munnabhai / Munabhai

Vidhu Vinod Chopra has an awesome luck with debuting assitant directors who go on to become successful directors. Sanjay Leela Bhansali has already achieved that, and now its time to welcome another star director - Rajkumar Hirani. Munnabhai M.B.B.S was a well thought out movie which appealed to everyone - Lage Raho Munnabhai follows the same well thought formula, and it actually makes you laugh without trying too hard. That, is a sign of a successul movie. Here are few of the best reviews on the movie I’ve come accross  - on the whole I expect the movie to get full marks in the blogosphere:

Wonder Years exactly conveys the feelings I had about this movie when I went into the theatre:

3 hours down the line, and I could hear myself say, couldn’t they have left the original alone? Why disgrace it with a tail that is not befitting the original classic? Despite all this, I knew I couldn’t resist wanting to be there on the first day of the movie. Like I did 3 years ago. The only difference being the meteoric change of expectations.

So most of you reading this would be now anxiously thinking, whats the verdict? Did Munnabhai 2 live up to its original?

No.

It does better.

Vivek echoes general sentiments - this is a total paisa vasool movie:

To me the “paisa vasool” scene of the movie was when Jhanvi during the course of the quiz contest asks Munna, “ Mahtama Gandhi ka kitne bache the aur unke naam kya the?” (or something to that effect). And one of Munna’s hangers on takes a guess. “ Indira Gandhi aur Rajiv Gandhi”. Funny? Of course. And at the same time a brilliant comment on our times where in people have forgotten the Mahatama and associate him with the Nehru – Gandhi family.

– Absolutely bang on Vivek. I felt the same.

Navin Gupta calls Lage Raho a masterpiece and especially notes Gandhism in the movie. I have to agree  - the way Gandhi was used was simply laudable.

It’s an inspirational movie without heavy lectures. The character of Gandhi Ji has been used in a brilliant manner in here. The movie teaches some genuine lessons. The story makes us feel proud of ourselves on being a good human being. I am not sure whether movie is successful in teaching us to follow Gadhian Principles but for sure attracts the much needed attention on the principle professed by Mahatma Gandhi and that too in such a lucrative, warm and witty manner.

Overall the movie is a winner. More reviews will be added as day goes by!