Happy birthday, Rajkumar Hirani: His directorial films you cannot miss
From iconic characters to quirky plots, Rajkumar Hirani is one of the few Hindi filmmakers who have cracked the success formula over the last two decades. He started off as a film editor and later made several popular advertisements, too, which probably helped him understand the viewers better. As the ace director turns 60, here are our four favorite films from his artillery!
Why does this story matter?
Hirani's directorial debut Munna Bhai M.B.B.S (2003) was a critical and commercial success and is touted to be a career-reviving venture for Sanjay Dutt. The helmer devised a writing formula—laughter, comedy, and drama—where any of these elements or all of them would be present in each scene of the film. This unique storytelling formula could make filmmaking cumbersome but produced brilliant results on celluloid.
'3 Idiots' (2009)
The coming-of-age comedy-drama film is one of the most viewed films in India. This satirical take on the Indian education system made us relate, laugh, cry, and root for our favorite characters in less than 180 minutes. The iconic music and the dialogues are still fresh, and even after nearly 13 years, we use its references! It is a perfect Sunday family dinner watch!
'PK' (2014)
This satirical comedy, featuring Aamir Khan's portrayal of an alien, was loved by all. Hirani's frequent collaborators, like producer Vidhu Vinod Chopra, writer-filmmaker Abhijat Joshi, and music composer Shantanu Moitra, have always helped him realize his vision and achieve success. And this film, too, is a perfect example of that. Even among actors, he worked with Boman Irani in all his films, including PK.
'Munna Bhai M.B.B.S.' (2003)
Hirani's directorial debut might not be his finest work, but it sure did change Hindi cinema. It is the story of a goon trying to please his father by pretending to be a doctor, featuring the real-life father-son duo of Sunil Dutt and Sanjay Dutt. The film is hilarious yet thought-provoking. This film also marked Sunil Dutt's final screen appearance.
'Sanju' (2018)
This Ranbir Kapoor starrer is a biopic of Sanjay Dutt, Bollywood's blue-eyed boy apparently gone wrong. The movie received flak for its whitewashing nature but making biopics is tricky, especially when some real-life characters could have objections. Hirani deals it nicely with Ruby's character, played by Sonam Kapoor. Also, the mainstream audience fell in love with Vicky Kaushal's Kamli.
