Lage Raho Munna Bhai and the urgent need of Gandhigiri in today’s times

Rajkumar Hirani made his directorial debut with the classic comedy Munna Bhai M.B.B.S. in 2003. A ruffian who recognizes himself as a social worker vows to become a doctor after a calamity at home. He tries and fails. But he teaches one and all how to live life and not just save life. For all his tough exterior, here was a man just as soft and shy. His camaraderie with his sidekick Circuit (Arshad Warsi) was one of the most inimitable pieces of chemistry seen in Hindi cinema in ages. But unlike other filmmakers, Hirani didn’t believe in the idea of unleashing a stale sequel just for the attraction of big bucks at the box-office.

Three years later, right on this day, 1st September 2006, he made Munna Bhai meet Mahatma Gandhi . Lies and violence met truth and non-violence. Sanjay Dutt here was less brooding and more bashful, but that classic touch of the filmmaker was sprinkled throughout the narrative. Both Munna and Mahatma handled entertainment and enlightenment in this cracker of a story that’s the desperate need in today’s age of abomination. Social media was seen as a tool for bridging gaps and uniting people, be it strangers or siblings or friends or even foes. The impact was gargantuan, at least initially.

Over the years, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram have become weapons of destruction where every face uses anonymity to unleash the venom inside his soul. It has wiped out the aura of a celebrity, the mystery of their plush lives, their clandestine romances and surreptitious liaisons. They are no longer free birds but caged in terror. The terror of being ridiculed for calling spade a spade, the terror of pouring their hearts out. Diplomacy and political correctness is the path they have chosen to walk on. May their words and their impact rest (and subsequently die) in peace.

Back in 2015, Aamir Khan spoke about how his wife Kiran Rao didn’t feel safe in India. Nobody wanted to understand the emotions of the statement, why and where it was coming from. We were quick to dismiss Khan as a traitor. Shah Rukh Khan ’s fate also dealt a cruel hand when he spoke about the growing intolerance in India. Their films suffered. They suffered. Their unfiltered thoughts suffered. Boycott Pathaan is something now everyone might be aware of. What will happen on January 25, 2023?

Bollywood is the easiest target for trolls. They are trolled for their clothes, statements, movies, and even food choices. And this ultimately leads to boycotting them, a hashtag that’s unlikely to vanish anytime soon. There’s a debate around the failure of Laal Singh Chaddha. What led to its colossal collapse? Boycott or bad content? There’s already a hashtag called Boycott Brahmastra and they have set their eyes on Vikram Vedha too.

It’s interesting to imagine what would happen if Lage Raho Munna Bhai would be made today. Would Munna and Mahatma Gandhi make social media a better place for one and all? For sure! Would the father of the nation have a Twitter or Instagram live with fans across the world? For sure! But, I would really want to know how would Bapu react if he saw a hashtag that said- Boycott Lage Raho Munna Bhai. Your thoughts Mr. Hirani?

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