This Bollywood superstar was the reason behind the delay of Sanjay Dutt and Rajkumar Hirani’s Munna Bhai MBBS

Last month (December 19, 2023), Rajkumar Hirani's Munna Bhai MBBS completed 20 years of its theatrical release. The film featured Sanjay Dutt, Arshad Warsi, and Boman Irani in pivotal roles. The 2003 movie also starred Khurshed Lawyer, who essayed the part of Swami. Two decades down the line, Khurshed has revealed that Shah Rukh Khan's back injury led to a delay in Munna Bhai MBBS after it went on floors. SRK was reportedly going to play Murli Prasad Sharma (later essayed by Sanjay) in Hirani's film.

Munna Bhai MBBS was delayed because of Shah Rukh Khan

In an interview with Bollywood Hungama, Khurshed Lawyer said that he was shortlisted for the role of Swami after going through the audition. However, Munna Bhai MBBS got delayed. Revealing the reason, Khurshed said, "It got delayed for nearly 10 months due to Shah Rukh Khan’s back injury."

The actor further mentioned that SRK never shot for the movie. Later, the Rajkumar Hirani directorial was made with Sanjay Dutt in the lead role. Lawyer further opined that 'Munna Bhai wouldn't have been Munna Bhai without Sanjay Dutt' while 'Dunki wouldn't have been Dunki without Shah Rukh Khan'.

Also read: Sanjay Dutt on Munna Bhai M.B.B.S. completing 20 years - 'I hope Munna Bhai 3 gets made soon and it creates a stir'

Interestingly, Khurshed was also a part of SRK's movie, Dunki, which was helmed by Rajkumar Hirani. However, due to a tight schedule, the actor didn't get time to meet or interact with the superstar.

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About Munna Bhai MBBS and its sequel

Sanjay and Arshad's Munna Bhai MBBS was produced by Vidhu Vinod Chopra. On the other hand, the dialogues of the film were penned by Abbas Tyrewala. Sunil Dutt (Sanjay's father) also played the role of his on-screen father in the Rajkumar Hirani film. As for Gracy Singh, she essayed the part of Boman Irani's daughter.

Following the 2003 film's success, its sequel Lage Raho Munna Bhai hit the silver screen in 2006. The second installment featured Dia Mirza, Vidya Balan, and Jimmy Shergill.

Also read: Dunki Drop 4 - Shah Rukh Khan chugs into a heartwarming journey and an unforgettable tale of friendships in the trailer