Munna Bhai MBBS (2003) completed 20 years on December 19 and the film is memorable for various reasons. The lead actors got a lot of acclaim while for the supporting cast, director Rajkumar Hirani cast several not-so-known actors who got a new lease of life thanks to this film. Yatin Karyekar was one such actor. He played Anand bhai, who was in a vegetative state for 12 years until Munna (Sanjay Dutt) brought him back to life through love and care. The sound of the wheelchair in the end was creaking but it was music to the ears as it meant Anand bhai had miraculously recovered. It was one of the magical moments of Hindi cinema.
Yatin Karyekar exclusively spoke to Bollywood Hungama and revealed fascinating trivia about the film.
How did you bag the film?
Raju (Rajkumar Hirani) and I knew each other for 10-15 years before Munna Bhai MBBS. I was a model while he used to make ad films. I acted in a lot of his commercials and corporate films. One day, I got a call from his assistant Suman, whom we used to call Suma. She asked me to audition. I was originally given the role of one of the doctors, called Doctor # 1 in the script, who coaches Munna in the climax.
I am an actor who wants to know the story. Accordingly, I shape my character. I can’t just do a scene. But Suma refused to divulge the plot. So, I asked her to reveal what happened before and after the said scene. She informed me about it, and it impressed me. Story alag lagi mujhe. I realized I Raju ki team se hoshyari se story nikalwani padegi! I met Dilip Dowjekar aka DD, Raju’s right-hand man, who I knew very well. I sat with him for an hour. Through him, I found out bits and pieces of the story. I put them together and I concluded that this would be a brilliant film and Doctor # 1 was definitely not the role that I wanted to do!
I declined the role. Suma was in tears, fearing that if I didn’t audition, she’d lose her job. I assured her that I’d talk to Raju. In the parking lot, I bumped into Raju. I told him that I was returning without auditioning. He said, ‘Kyun? Meri film mein kaam nahin karna hai?’. I replied, ‘Bilkul karna hai’. I told him, ‘There are 3 roles in your film that I’d love to do. Pehla role toh tune Sanjay Dutt ko diya hai’. He started laughing. The second role was of Boman Irani and the third one was of Anand bhai.
This was a time when Anand bhai’s climax narration was not in the script. Raju reasoned that the character doesn’t mouth any dialogue. I told him, ‘Wohi toh challenge hai’. I added, ‘I trust you implicitly. I am sure you’ll make the best film’. He looked at me for 10 seconds and visualized me as Anand. He took me to his office. Suma, meanwhile, was relieved! As for audition, mujhe toh kuch nahin karna tha. Baithna tha aur dekhte rehna tha Raju ki taraf. I didn’t blink. After a while, a tear rolled down my eyes. Later, I realized that for all the supporting roles, mine was the only audition attended by Raju.
Who else auditioned for Anand bhai?
Nobody. DD himself was interested in playing Anand bhai. Hence, Raju was a bit apprehensive. He told me, ‘DD se yeh role kaise chheenu?’. But Raju and DD are sweethearts and thorough gentlemen. I get inspired seeing them. DD though did joke that ‘Tune mera role le liya’!
Did you wear a fake beard for the initial scenes?
Yes. It was make-up man ka kamaal. However, I did something intelligent! I have assisted and I believe that knowing the technicalities helps. Before Anand bhai got a shave, I asked costume people to give me an oversized hospital gown. After shaving, I am wearing clothes that fit me. I did this because when you wear loose garments with a long beard, it makes you look ill and sad.
When was the climax narration of Anand bhai added to the film?
We were shooting at the College of Agriculture, Pune. One day, Raju told me, ‘Tere liye ek scene likha hai’. He explained to me that it’ll be placed at the very end. I told him, ‘Picture lambi ho jaayegi’. He reasoned, ‘Agar woh scene mein Anand bhai nahin bolega toh koi bhi scene mein Anand bhai ki awaz nahin sunayi degi’. He asked ‘Apni film kis ke liye hai’. I realized he was right as our film is about giving voice to the voiceless. I agreed and that scene was filmed.
This is when I asked myself, ‘Why did Raju not play the role of Anand bhai?’! He’s also an actor and has worked in several ads, including the famous Fevicol ad. When associate director Rajesh Mapuskar narrated the scene to me, I told him, ‘I need the narration in Rajkumar Hirani’s voice. Can we convince him to do it?’. I wanted it that way. Rajesh told me that it won’t be possible. So, I told him, ‘No problem. During the dubbing session, I’d be out of India. So, you’ll have the option of dubbing from Raju’! His face brightened up.
You mean to say you pretended that you were not in India…
Yes. I was in India but told them that I was not available. So, Raju dubbed it. It’s his voice in the end. It’s shot on me and dubbed by Rajkumar Hirani. Rajesh Mapuskar and I hatched the plot!
Does Rajkumar Hirani know about it?
I don’t think so. After reading this, he might. 20 saal baad, daant padegi mujhe (laughs)!
Anand bhai has the closest bond with Munna. How was it to work with Sanjay Dutt?
He’s a gentle giant. We all felt sorry for him as he was going through his court cases. Court se usko phone aaya toh usko jaana padta tha. It happened twice. He was a gem of a person. He is actually real-life Munna Bhai. Gentle hai, mazaak karte rehte hai, no attitude. If anybody would ask him ‘Baba, ek photo khichu?’. He’d be like, ‘Haan, khinch na’. He’d call someone, ‘Chal, camera pakad’. I have acted with many big stars and most of them are reserved and not open to suggestions. Baba was bindaas. There’s one suggestion I gave for the scene where he removes the phone from the cast in his hand. That was my idea because the phone wasn’t kept by him anywhere. Then, how did he get his phone all of a sudden? So, I told him, ‘Plaster mein rakho phone’. He liked it.
There’s another scene where Circuit and other gang members get a bed for Anand bhai. Dr Asthana storms in and asks, ‘Kya main poochh sakta hoon ki yeh kya ho raha hai?’. Munna replies, ‘Nahin’! That ‘Nahin’ was improvised. Just before we were about to take the master shot, Arshad Warsi whispered to Baba that he should say ‘Nahin’ after which he and other gang members would all laugh. Boman didn’t hear as he had walked away to his position outside the ward. Baba agreed. Raju heard everything as he was wearing the headphones. He remained silent. Boman didn’t know. When Munna says ‘Nahin’, the way Boman looks towards the matron and Circuit is his natural reaction. Then Munna said ‘Achha, accha, pooch’ and Boman continued. He didn’t complain ‘Yeh toh line nahin thi’. He’s a brilliant actor; hats off to him!
The ‘Nahin’ dialogue and ‘Subject kuch mehsoos nahin kar sakta’ have become viral memes…
Yes. As an actor, it feels nice that my character and these moments are etched in people’s minds.
Did you come across people whose family members were in a vegetative state, similar to Anand bhai?
Yes. One person called me and said, ‘My father is in a similar condition. We felt good after seeing your film. People didn’t know how to behave or what to say to him. Your film made it easier’. However, he also added that his father never recovered from the coma and passed away. I was touched that the film had such an impact.
I remember my family doctor was offended by the depiction of the doctors in the film. Did you also ever get an angry reaction from any doctor?
I got that reaction later. I had shot for the Tamil remake of Munna Bhai MBBS, Vasool Raja MBBS (2004). I was returning. A doctor told me, ‘I hope you know Munna Bhai’s remake is being made’. I was happy that he knew about it. I nodded and told him that I had just shot for the remake. He looked at me angrily and thundered, ‘Its name is Vasool Raja MBBS. That’s not a good thing’ and he stormed off (laughs). I didn’t know where to look and how to react!
Were you the only actor who acted in all remakes?
Maybe, I am not sure. I also worked in the Telugu and Kannada remakes.
You are so close to Rajkumar Hirani and yet, you never worked with him again…
He had called me for one of the roles in Lage Raho Munna Bhai (2006). This time, not his assistant but he himself approached me. I agreed instantly. Later on, he told me, ‘Mat kar woh role. Bahut chhota sa scene hai. You won’t be noticed’. I was okay with it.
More Pages: Munnabhai MBBS Box Office Collection , Munnabhai MBBS Movie Review
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