Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s cinematic journey, marked by both commercial successes and critical acclaim, has always been one of unwavering passion and artistic vision. Even in the face of commercial setbacks, Chopra remained steadfast in his vision. His debut home production, Munna Bhai MBBS, a heartwarming comedy-drama starring Sanjay Dutt and Arshad Warsi, faced initial scepticism and failed to garner significant viewership. However, Chopra’s unwavering faith in director Rajkumar Hirani and the film’s potential paid off.
Vidhu Vinod Chopra reveals Munna Bhai MBBS ‘flopped on day one’; he paid Rajkumar Hirani Rs. 11,000 for next movie: “Don’t lose your belief system”
Despite the film’s initial struggles, Chopra’s belief in its quality led him to persevere. His determination eventually paid off, as Munna Bhai MBBS went on to become a cult classic, earning critical acclaim and commercial success. At IFP Season 14, the filmmaker said, “When Munna Bhai MBBS released, it flopped on day one, no one went to see it.”
He sought to sell the film to a distributor based in South India, who initially offered Rs 11 lakh. However, after viewing the film, the distributor expressed doubts, stating that Munna Bhai MBBS would likely struggle to find an audience beyond the suburban area of Borivali. “We managed to get one morning show in a theatre in Tamil Nadu where the film did a business of over Rs. 1 crore.”
Recalling meeting Hirani a day after the film released, Chopra said that he gave the director Rs. 11,000. “But he said, ‘I won’t take it because the film is a flop’. I told him, ‘I’m paying you this money for the next movie’. Eventually he got Rs. 11 lakhs, Rs. 51 lakhs, Rs 1 crore and God knows how many crores… (as it did well),” he said.
“Don’t lose your belief system because the industry will try and corrupt your soul, and say, ‘Do this or that, this is what sells’… I believed in the film,” the filmmaker added.
Vidhu Vinod Chopra last helmed 12th Fail and will drop Zero Se Start on December 15 in cinemas.
ALSO READ: Vidhu Vinod Chopra plans to re-release Shikara in 2025; recalls James Cameron watching the film in New Zealand: “He told me the film reminded him of Doctor Zhivago”
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