Aamir Khan recently shared an intriguing anecdote about his early involvement with the “Munnabhai” film series. Before “Munnabhai MBBS” (2003) was conceived, director Rajkumar Hirani approached Khan with a different script intended to be the first “Munnabhai” film. This script underwent significant revisions and eventually evolved into “Lage Raho Munnabhai” (2006), the sequel that popularized the concept of Gandhi.
Khan recounted that Hirani had initially narrated a story about a young freedom fighter who, after being injured during a lathi charge, slips into a coma and awakens 40-45 years later in a changed India. Unaware of Mahatma Gandhi’s passing, this character converses with Gandhi, leading to the film’s unique premise.
When Hirani revisited Khan to discuss the project, he informed the actor that the original script had transformed into “Munna Bhai 2” (later titled “Lage Raho Munnabhai”) and that he had nothing new to narrate at that moment. Khan agreed with this direction, expressing no regrets about not being part of the film.
While Khan did not star in the “Munnabhai” series, he later collaborated with Hirani on successful projects like “3 Idiots” (2009) and “PK” (2014), both of which became significant hits in Indian cinema.