Entertainment Desk
Munna Bhai MBBS is one of the most loved and celebrated movies in Bollywood history. The 2003 comedy-drama, directed by Rajkumar Hirani and starring Sanjay Dutt, Arshad Warsi, and Boman Irani, won the hearts of millions of Indians with its hilarious and heartwarming story of a gangster who becomes a doctor to impress his father. The film was a critical and commercial success, and spawned a sequel, Lage Raho Munna Bhai, in 2006.
However, many fans of the movie were shocked and disappointed to discover that Munna Bhai MBBS was not an original story, but a scene-to-scene copy of a Hollywood movie, Patch Adams, released in 1998. Patch Adams is a biographical comedy-drama, directed by Tom Shadyac and starring Robin Williams, Monica Potter, and Philip Seymour Hoffman, based on the life and work of Dr. Hunter “Patch” Adams, a medical doctor and social activist who advocated for a more humane and compassionate approach to health care.
The similarities between the two movies were exposed by a user on X, who posted a video comparing several scenes from Munna Bhai MBBS and Patch Adams, showing how they were almost identical in terms of plot, dialogue, and cinematography. The video went viral on social media, and sparked a lot of reactions from desis, who expressed their disbelief, anger, and sadness over the revelation. Here are some of the tweets that captured the mood of the netizens:
- “My whole life was a lie.”
- “Hirani I used to consider you demigod of Bollywood
- “Bollywood has rarely ever produced original content”
- “Scene to scene copy kada raa. Rajkumar Hirani”
- “Am surprised people are noticing this now”
Some fans, however, defended Munna Bhai MBBS, saying that it was still a better movie than Patch Adams, and that it had its own charm and flavor that suited the Indian audience. They argued that copying was not a big deal, and that many Bollywood movies were inspired by Hollywood movies, such as Ghajini from Memento, Partner from Hitch, and Chachi 420 from Mrs. Doubtfire.
Rajkumar Hirani, the director of Munna Bhai MBBS, has not yet commented on the controversy, nor has Sanjay Dutt, the lead actor of the movie. Patch Adams, the real-life doctor who inspired the Hollywood movie, passed away in 2018, at the age of 73. He was known for his unconventional and innovative methods of treating patients, such as using humor, clowning, and music, and for founding the Gesundheit Institute, a non-profit organization that provides free health care to people in need.
