Rajkumar Hirani's cyber crime web series Pritam Aur Pedro is currently getting plenty of attention. It is a crime drama built around two police officers whose worlds and working styles are completely different from each other. If you have not watched the series yet, that is fine, because before that here is a look back at the director's films that have stayed in audiences' hearts for years and that once made the box office ring with cash.
Munna Bhai M.B.B.S.: the debut that rewrote history
This was the first film of Rajkumar Hirani's directorial career, and it created a new chapter in Hindi cinema the moment it released. The film gave Sanjay Dutt's career a fresh lease of life and gifted audiences the iconic pairing of Circuit and Munna, a duo still held up as the gold standard of friendship. The story follows a local gangster named Murli Prasad Sharma, alias Munna Bhai, who pretends to be a doctor to keep his simple, unsuspecting parents happy. But when his father, played by Sunil Dutt, discovers the truth and is heartbroken, Munna genuinely enrols in a medical college.
3 Idiots: a blockbuster built on Chetan Bhagat's novel
Based on Chetan Bhagat's novel Five Point Someone, this film ranks among the biggest blockbusters in Indian cinema. Starring Aamir Khan, R Madhavan, Sharman Joshi and Kareena Kapoor, it completely won over audiences. Rajkumar Hirani showcased his directorial brilliance in 3 Idiots, and it remains one of the most cherished films about college life and friendship.
Sanju: a biopic on the life of a close friend
Released in 2018, Sanju was the first film in Rajkumar Hirani's career that was not based on a fictional story but on the real life of his close friend and actor Sanjay Dutt. Ranbir Kapoor played Sanjay Dutt with such intensity that the line between the real Sanju and the on screen Sanju blurred for audiences.
Dunki: Hirani and Shah Rukh Khan team up for the first time
Dunki finally fulfilled fans' wish of seeing Rajkumar Hirani and Bollywood's King Khan, Shah Rukh Khan, come together on screen. The film is built around a highly sensitive and global issue known as the Donkey Route or Donkey Flight. Directed by Rajkumar Hirani, it featured Shah Rukh Khan, Vicky Kaushal and Taapsee Pannu in important roles.
PK: a sharp satire told through an alien's eyes
Released in 2014, PK is Rajkumar Hirani's much discussed satirical comedy drama. It tells the story of an alien who accidentally lands on Earth and loses the remote control to his spaceship. While searching for a way back home, he encounters human traditions, religious beliefs and superstitions. Through his innocent yet pointed questions, he challenges many of society's rigid customs and forces people to think deeply.
Lage Raho Munna Bhai: the film that gave us Gandhigiri
After the massive success of Munna Bhai M.B.B.S., expectations were sky high when Rajkumar Hirani brought out its sequel. Hirani not only lived up to those expectations but also gave Indian cinema a brand new word, Gandhigiri, through Lage Raho Munna Bhai, a term that has become immortal. The film presents Mahatma Gandhi's principles of truth and non violence in a way that feels remarkably relevant and entertaining even in today's modern society, and that is exactly why it earned cult classic status.
What ties all these films together is that each one did brisk business at the box office while carving out its own distinct identity with audiences. That is why, before diving into a new web series like Pritam Aur Pedro, revisiting Rajkumar Hirani's cinematic legacy makes for a genuinely interesting watch.
