Bande main tha dum... (the man had strength) sets the tone of Lage Raho Munnabhai (second in the Munnabhai series) and echoes throughout as if to remind us of the power behind Gandhian teachings and principles. Deep down inside, the fact is buried in our conscience. Yet it takes a Munnabhai and his adorable antics to convince us of the true power behind them. What a pity!
However, the phenomenal success of the film proves that we, after all, are not that reluctant as it is made out to be sometimes, towards Mahatma’s philosophy. The subject has been taken up so many times earlier but never, I believe, with such simplicity and elan. Sometimes you need humor instead of serious talk, satire instead of lecture, and ordinary people rather than high profile leaders to put your point across. With Lage Raho Munnabhai, Vidhu Vinod Chopra and Rajkumar Hirani have achieved exactly that and the result is a brilliant film that carries its message in such style and grace that every time you laugh, you ponder.
The film is a winner in every sense, be it the performances of the star cast (the same as that of Munnabhai MBBS), music score, direction, or its well-written script that shapes the pace of the film. Making a sequel is a daunting task, more so, if its forerunner has been so successful that the characters become immortal. Actually, it would be incorrect to use the term sequel for it. The film has an entirely new plot wherein our Munnabhai - the goon (played to perfection by Sanjay Dutt) falls in love with a radio Jockey, Jhanvi (played by Vidya Balan). Eager to meet her in person, he falsely adorns the persona of a history professor who lives and breathes the philosophy of Bapu. Since his knowledge about the Mahatma is limited only to the fact that Gandhi Jayanti is celebrated as a dry day and his photograph appears on the indian rupee, Munnabhai has to reluctantly go through as much literature as he can to keep his false impression intact. What follows is a hilarious display of acts that make for a spectacular watch.
Perhaps the biggest achievement of the film is its effectiveness in putting across the message that Mahatma is very much alive in his teachings which can play a significant role in eliminating the problems that the country faces today. The fact that a goon epitomizes the philosophy makes it even more symbolic.
The nation needs Gandhigiri and not Dadagiri. We agree Munnabhai.