Vidhu Vinod Chopra is a filmmaker based in India who is nowadays regarded as one of the most revered film producers in the Hindi cinema. His name is linked with such blockbusters as 3 Idiots, PK, Sanju, and recently, such a critically acclaimed film as 12th Fail. However, icons too have some downsides, and the tale of Chopra with Munna Bhai MBBS, a movie that has now become a cult movie, was not the easiest in the beginning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
During a candid chat on SCREEN on the occasion of ‘Creator x Creator, Chopra reminisced about the 2003 Sanjay Dutt-sked comedy, which was a revelation in his career, as well as the Indian comedy scene in general. And wouldn’t you know it, all that started because of rejection, lots of it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At the time when Munna Bhai MBBS was finished and ready to be released, Chopra believed that the mixture of heart and humor the film has would be a sure hit. Yet the response received at the distributor level, particularly in South India, was not very encouraging.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Munna Bhai MBBS was released to empty cinemas, recollecting Chopra with laughter and surprise. What a film turned out to make was to make me rich, despite the fact that no one, apparently, outside of Mumbai had an interest in purchasing it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There is a single memory Chopra recalls: A South Indian distributor, who had agreed to buy the film for 11 lakh, showed up to take the print only four days before the release. He was harsh after watching the movie. He said to me, This movie will not last a day. The lingo is over-Bambaiya. It can not be understood by people outside of Mumbai, was the reply given to Chopra.<\/p>\n\n\n\n