Sanjay Dutt headlined the satirical comedy-drama Munna Bhai MBBS (2003) as well as its sequel Lage Raho Munna Bhai (2006). However, the actor’s casting was full of challenges. The director recalled offering Sanjay Dutt the role of Jimmy Shergill initially but offered the lead character’s role only as an afterthought. 

Sanjay Dutt went to jail and the whole industry banned him, says Vidhu Vinod Chopra

The producer of Munna Bhai MBBS, Vidhu Vinod Chopra recently made an appearance at the Kellogg Management School. Speaking at the event, the filmmaker recalled how Sanjay Dutt came on board Munna Bhai MBBS. He mentioned the entire film industry banning the actor after he came out of jail in the 1990s. 

He shared, “Sanjay Dutt went to jail. I didn’t know him at all. The whole industry banned him, but I thought this was very wrong, so I went to his house and made a film with him. His father said that I’ll be banned as well, but I said, ‘I don’t care’” He continued and remembered Sanjay telling him that he wanted to make his comeback film with him. The director said, “I told him, ‘I’ll never make a film with you, I just announced it because it was the right thing to do’. He’s a very simple man. A good man, but a simple man. He thought the announcement meant that we were actually going to work together.” 

DYK Sanjay Dutt never read the script of Munna Bhai MBBS?

In the same appearance, the filmmaker also shared that Sanjay Dutt was initially offered the role of Jimmy Shergill which he readily agreed. He further revealed that it was only when the lead actor in the film stepped back from doing the role, he offered it to Sanjay Dutt. He said, “And he’s such a simple fellow, he said, ‘I know’. I said, ‘No, not that role, main Munna Bhai’. He said, ‘Okay, if you say so, I’ll do it’. He never reads a script.” 

Munna Bhai went on to become a massive commercial hit. Apart from Sanjay Dutt, the film also starred Boman Irani, Vidya Balan, Arshad Warsi and Neha Dhupia. A sequel to the movie was released in 2006 - Lage Raho Munna Bhai.