It’s been 15 years since Bollywood enthusiasts were first introduced to Munna Bhai, and after all this while, cinephiles still can’t help falling in love with this on-screen character. If Rajkumar Hirani gave Bollywood one of its most-loved character, Sanjay Dutt took it a notch higher with his acting chops.
Such has been the popularity of the franchise that it earned Dutt fans not only in India, but abroad as well.
Dutt in a chit chat with Abhijat Joshi, the co-writer of Sanju, revealed that America’s former president Barack Obama knows him as Munna Bhai. Back in 2004, Obama met Sanju during an event, and he was surprised to see the craze around Dutt.
Joshi in an exclusive interview to India Today Television talked about his personal favourite story of Sanjay Dutt.
“The first big surprise I had felt when Sanjay one day said I was walking with Barack Obama and suddenly all the Indians mobbed me and Obama was left waiting on the sideline. We were shocked to hear that. There was a context to it. He started mentioning India Day Parade. So I actually went and discovered the newspaper (Chicago Tribune, August 16, 2004) and the story was in there,” said Joshi.
“Obama was the senator at that time and they were walking together at the Deerborne Street and Indians mobbed him, and they were calling him Munna Bhai. Sanju said that Barack Obama knows me as Munna Bhai,” added Joshi.
And now the colourful story of Bollywood’s original bad boy is making its way to the big screen. Hirani, who has worked with Dutt in Munna Bhai, is bringing his story on the 70 mm with Sanju.
The film, which also stars Anushka Sharma, Sonam Kapoor, Paresh Rawal, Vicky Kaushal and Manisha Koirala, is set to hit the screens on June 24.
