‘Munna Bhai MBBS': Vidhu Vinod Chopra reveals how South distributor's rejection led to unexpected success: 'Nobody outside of Mumbai...'
Vidhu Vinod Chopra
stands out not only as an experienced director but also as a highly successful Hindi film producer. His keen instincts have guided him to support notable movies like 'Parineeta' by Pradeep Sarkar, along with
Rajkumar Hirani
's acclaimed works including the '
Munna
Bhai' series, '3 Idiots', 'PK', and 'Sanju'.
The Initial Rejection of 'Munna Bhai MBBS'
In a recent conversation with SCREEN, the producer shared that 'Munna Bhai MBBS' initially faced rejection from distributors in South India. He recalled that the film premiered to almost empty theaters and became his biggest financial success, specifically because it was not sold beyond Mumbai at first.
Distributor's Doubts and Chopra's Offer
Chopra told an experience with a South Indian distributor who had purchased 'Munna Bhai' for Rs 11 lakh.
The distributor came to collect the film four days before its release, but after watching it, he expressed his doubts: 'Sir, this film won't work even for a day. Nobody outside of Mumbai would get the language of Munna Bhai,' said Chopra.
Unexpected Success in Chennai
The filmmaker shared that he had once offered to refund the Rs 5 lakh advance paid by a South Indian distributor, but the distributor preferred to retain it as a guarantee for Chopra's next project.
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Chopra explained, 'The bottom line is I had no distributor for South India. I had friends — Shyam Shroff and Bala Shroff — who had a company". He revealed that there was a cinema there, and he got just one morning show at 11 am in Chennai.
He sold his print there for Rs 5 lakh. His final business from that one centre was in Rs 1 crore plus.
The Power of Good Work Over Marketing
He noted that no one attended the film on the first or second day. However, he believes that good work eventually pays off. He explained that he is not against marketing but does not prioritize it because he trusts that people will discover a good film on their own. He cited '12th Fail' as an example, mentioning that it started with a modest budget of Rs 10-30 lakh and ran for seven months in cinemas despite being available on OTT platforms like Hotstar just two months after its release, yet audiences still chose to watch it in theaters.
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