Munna Bhai M.B.B.S.

Starring: SANJAY DUTT, SUNIL DUTT, ARSHAD WARSI, GRACY SINGH, BOMAN IRANI, ROHINI HATUNGADI

Synopsis: Laughter, they say, is the best medicine. Love, Munnabhai says, works even better. Who is Munnabhai? A tough as nails tapori with an unstinting heart of gold. The Bulging biceps and coarse language conceal a gentle giant who only wants to spread smiles. He hugs people, giving them 'jadu ki jhappi'. Naturally though he can barely tell a liver from a lung, yet he is the best doctor in town. Sanjay Dutt, a perfect mix of machismo, vulnerability, intensity and humor, is Munnabhai. He endears as only he can.

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Pops, this time the queen is mine

Like most Bollywood products, watching this movie requires a large investment of your time (2 hrs 30 mins+). It's well worth it. There's wonderful character development here. As a result, we see and believe Sanjay Dutt's "Munna Bhai" as a hulking, swaggering 'brother gangster' who is also capable of great acts of passion and caring. Dispensing 'magic hugs' and fully engaging _everyone_ regardless of their station in life, Dutt's character sets out on a circuitous and indescribable path from gangster to doctor.

For Dutt, the gangster role here is a case of art imitating life (thank you, Harkanwar Anand, for your review which encouraged me to look up the details of Dutt's life...wow). He's got great support from some wonderful castmates. I loved Boman Irani's performance as Dr. J. C. Asthana. He's brilliant - alternatively stern and commanding, then broadly comedic. Whether it's the translation or not, he also delivers some great officious lines like delivering Dutt his "rustication letter." That sent me scrambling to the dictionary. Excellent.

Kudos also to Arshad Warsi for his portrayal of Munna Bhai's henchman 'Circuit.' Whether musically menacing shakedown victims with a switchblade or listening to Dutt unload his dreams and fears on the shore each night, his portrayal adds rich layers to Dutt's character.

Don't give up early on this movie - the first five minutes is very slapstick-y, but after that it settles into a very good groove. Your appreciation for it will grow as the movie goes on. At the end, my wife and I looked at each other and expressed the same thought: "Wow, what a _great_ movie!" It will touch you.

[NOTE: I see reports that Mira Nair has bought the US rights to Munna Bhai and is planning a release called 'Gangster M.D.' starring Chris Tucker. Those reports were in 2006 (Nair herself is quoted). IMDB shows an entry in Nair's bio under the Producer tag that the project is 'in production' for 2008, but posters there seem skeptical that this project is on track.] November 24, 2007

OUTSTANDING

What happened here? People weren't expecting much from this film but it somehow managed to be the movie that changed Sanjay Dutt's life yet again. This film is funny, uplifting and brings tears to the eyes too. Tell me one film that does all that? It touches your heart, breaks it, wins it and owns it. It was heartening to see Sunil Dutt act with his son. Boman Irani is superb as a bald professor. Gracy Singh is loveable. Easily one of the top 20 films I've seen in Bollywood.

My Rating - 9.4/10 October 26, 2006

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