For nearly two decades, fans have eagerly awaited the return of: Sanjay Duttby Munna and: Arshad Warsiin Circuit. While speculation surrounding the fate of ‘Munna Bhai 3’ has surfaced again and again over the years, the filmmaker Rajkumar Hirani and actor Arshad Warsi has now clarified that the project is very much alive and remains under active development.According to Hindustan Times, speaking during the promotions for their upcoming streaming venture ‘Pritam and Pedro’, the duo revealed that the issue was not a lack of ideas but finding the perfect story that would fulfill the legacy of the franchise.
Rajkumar Hirani’s search for the right story continues
The journey of the beloved franchise began with ‘Munna Bhai MBBS’ in 2003, followed by the hugely successful ‘Lage Raho Munna Bhai’ in 2006. Both films garnered critical acclaim and built a loyal fan base, making expectations for the third installment extremely high.Rajkumar Hirani admits that conceptualizing new adventures for Munna and Circuit was not difficult at all. The challenge, according to him, is to create a narrative that remains equally engaging from beginning to end.Explaining the delay, he said, “If you want to see Munna Bhai till the interval, I can do five films now.
Why Rajkumar Hirani refuses to rush a sequel
Despite knowing that the third installment will generate huge excitement at the box office, Hirani insists that commercial success alone will not be the reason for making another film in the franchise.“Actually, I’d like to do one. Anyone else in my place would have said, ‘Just write any script, it’ll get a big opening and make a lot of money.’ But I don’t want to do that. We made two big films; if I only cared about money, I would have four or five versions by now. It should at least match the basics of what we already have. That’s where I got stuck,” he said.The filmmaker stressed that maintaining the quality established in the first two films remains his biggest priority.
Arshad Warsi revealed three scripts that already exist
Contrary to popular speculations that the project does not have a screenplay, Arshad Warsi revealed that several versions of the story have already been written.“There are actually three more unfinished scripts sitting there. And all three are actually better than most of the scripts I’ve ever heard—I’m not kidding. Each of them has elements that will immediately grab your attention. The thoughts and the scenes are wonderful,” he shared.According to Warsi, each draft had strong emotional and dramatic moments, but each lacked an essential element needed to complete the narrative. Arshad further explained that the development process has stalled as the writers are looking for a perfect resolution that ties everything together.“It’s just missing that one little connection, that one little piece of the jigsaw puzzle. If not, where the end is missing, or it doesn’t connect smoothly. Eventually, he will find it,” he added. The actor remains confident that Hirani will eventually break the formula and give a worthy continuation to the franchise.The unexpected success of GandhigiriDuring the conversation, Hirani also reflected on how some of the franchise’s most iconic moments have become cultural phenomena without deliberate planning.“You don’t sit and write thinking, ‘People will remember Jaadu ki Jhappi or Gandhigiri.’ When you start writing like that, it becomes manipulative,” he said.The director recalled how the team once believed that another dialogue from ‘Lage Raho Munna Bhai’ would be popular with the audience. However, it was the concept of Gandhigiri that unexpectedly resonated across the country and became part of popular culture.“We have a track where Lucky Singh is a corrupt builder and has to adapt to Gandhigiri. We wrote a line where Munna and Circuit tell him, ‘Whatever you normally do in life, do the exact opposite.’ We used that line a few times in the film and thought it would become a popular catchphrase. To this day, I don’t think a single person remembers that dialogue! On the other hand, we thought that the word Gandhigiri might not catch on, but it turned out to be a big event. You just have to write with your gut and leave it at that,” he recalls.
Arshad’s funny memory of playing circuit
One of the lighter moments of the discussion came when Arshad Warsi revealed that he hardly remembers his performances once a project is over.“I literally forgot my work immediately after a shoot. Raju knew that for Munna Bhai 2 (‘Lage Raho Munna Bhai’), I had no idea how I acted! They had to show me the tape of the first film and say, ‘Son, look, you acted like this,’ and then I literally had to imitate myself,” he joked.His candid confession caught everyone by surprise and offered a glimpse of his easyfrontiest way to act.
Hopes remain for the return of Munna and the circuit
Although ‘Munna Bhai 3’ has yet to move into production, Hirani confirmed that discussions are still on with Sanjay Dutt, Arshad Warsi and writer Abhijat Joshi. The team continues to explore different ideas while searching for the final ingredient that will elevate the film to the level that audiences expect.Ending on an optimistic note, Hirani assured fans that the beloved characters are not abandoned.“At some stage, it’s going to happen,” he said.For now, the wait continues, but the makers insist that ‘Munna Bhai 3’ is far from being shelved and may finally reunite one of Hindi cinema’s most loved on-screen duos.
