Vidhu Vinod Chopra reaffirmed his prowess in filmmaking with the 2023 hit ‘12th Fail’, starring Vikrant Massey in the lead role. In a recent interview, Chopra reflected on his iconic production venture ‘Munna Bhai MBBS’, revealing that it initially struggled to attract audiences. To overcome this challenge, he strategically shifted the film’s marketing focus to South India, where it eventually found significant success.
During a chat at IFP Season 1, Vidhu Vinod Chopra recounted how ‘Munna Bhai MBBS’ initially struggled at the box office. Despite its poor opening, Chopra remained optimistic and sought support from distributors in the South. “When ‘Munna Bhai MBBS’ released, it flopped on day one; no one went to see it,” he recollected. One distributor initially offered Rs. 11 lakh but later backed out, doubting the film’s appeal beyond Mumbai’s Borivali area. Undeterred, Chopra secured a morning screening at a theater in Tamil Nadu, which turned the tide for the film, generating over Rs. 1 crore in business and marking a pivotal moment in its success.
Arshad Warsi says he is doubtful if ‘Munna Bhai 3’ will be made in the near future
He further shared an anecdote about offering Rs. 11,000 to ‘Munna Bhai MBBS’ director Rajkumar Hirani, who initially refused the amount, believing the film had flopped. Chopra reassured him, saying the payment was intended for their next project. Chopra mentioned, “He (Rajkumar) said, ‘I won’t take it because the film is a flop.’ I told him, ‘I’m paying you this money for the next movie.’ Eventually, he got Rs. 11 lakh, Rs. 51 lakh, Rs. 1 crore, and God knows how many crores…”
The filmmaker-turned-producer advised people not to lose their belief system in the industry. “The industry will try to corrupt your soul, telling you to make certain types of films because ‘this is what sells,’” he concluded, reflecting on how he believed in his movie.
‘Munna Bhai MBBS’ was the directorial debut of Rajkumar Hirani. Sanjay Dutt and Arshad Warsi played the lead roles in the film, which had a sequel in 2006, ‘Lage Raho Munna Bhai’.
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