Lage raho Rajubhai!

Director Rajkumar Hirani on his film winning four National Awards


shradha_js@dnaindia.net
When I had met Rajkumar Hirani soon after the release of Lage Raho Munnabhai at his suburban office, I had spotted the statuette of Mahatma Gandhi spinning khadi on a charkha on his mantelpiece.

Today, when Lage Raho…. has bagged four National Awards—going three up on its predecessor Munnabhai MBBS, I speak to Hirani about his philosophy of life and filmmaking.

Gandhian ideals
I can hear the smile in his voice as he says, “Usually, I aspire to be what I make on film. I want to be Gandhian in my thinking but I am not yet there. When you are the boss, half the time you are stressing out, even losing your cool over things.”

Awesome foursome
The first sequel to win the National Award for Best Popular Film, Lage Raho got a final tally of four! “National Awards look at films with a social message, like Munnabhai and Rang De Basanti,” he opines, even as he expresses his delight over the four trophies —best popular film, best lyrics (Swanand Kirkire), best screenplay (Hirani, Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Abhijaat Joshi ) and best actor in a supporting role (Dilip Prabhawalkar).

The Maha-actor
The talented Maharashtrian actor this time got an award not just for his rendition of the Mahatma but for his portrayal of a benign middle-class clerk in the Marathi film Shervi. Hirani says, “Dilip is an actor of calibre, but he was completely ignored at all the earlier award functions. He had put in a lot of effort and has been finally appreciated with a top honour.”

Message in melody
Talk turns to the song that got the ultimate accolades. “I had loved Bande mein tha dum. Nowadays tracks, which are song and dance numbers are being appreciated more. This one is truly sensitive, gentle and has a lot of feeling. It has a strong message that has touched everyone’s hearts,” says Hirani.

Soft strength
I ask Hirani that his films have played a major role in repositioning Sanjay Dutt’s image in and outside the industry. He is quick to give the star his due, “The actors are the final faces on screen. Sanju was completely apt for the role. He has the physique that Munnabhai requires plus there is softness in his face. He plays it very real.”

Three Idiots
Hirani is not one to rest on past laurels. He has got busy with his next project, a film that will address education problems. “I have tentatively called it Three Idiots. Aamir Khan, Madhavan and Sharman Joshi will play the main leads. There is so much emphasis on results and grades in our system that true learning gets lost along the way,” emphasises Hirani.

More on Munnabhai?
And what about the much-awaited third film in the Munnabhai series? Hirani admits, “I am very reluctant to make sequels. I do that only if I can raise the bar on the previous film. When Eklavya was released, a teaser promo of Munnabhai Chale Amrica was shown. We were not making an effort to cash in on Munnabhai’s popularity. Vidhu and I will make it only when we are completely ready and confident that we can do a better job.” So, as things stand, Munnabhai fans will have to wait for Three Idiots to be finished to see Munnabhai on screen in a new adventure.