Rajkumar Hirani, an Indian filmmaker, is known for his works in Hindi films. He is the recipient of several accolades, including four National Film Awards and 11 Filmfare Awards. Hirani is referred as one of the most successful filmmakers of Indian cinema. His movies are often lighthearted but revolve around significant societal issues with humor and emotional intelligence.
Some of his most notable works include:
- Munna Bhai M.B.B.S. (2003): a comedy-drama starring Sanjay Dutt, Arshad Warsi, Boman Irani, Gracy Singh, Jimmy Sheirgill, and Sunil Dutt in lead roles. The film received positive reviews from critics upon release and emerged as a commercial success at the box-office.
- Lage Raho Munna Bhai (2006): the second installment of the Munna Bhai franchise, which retained some of the original cast, including Sanjay Dutt, Warsi, and Boman Irani, and added Vidya Balan as the female lead replacing Gracy Singh. The film proved to be Hirani’s highest-grossing release to that point.
- 3 Idiots (2009): a coming-of-age comedy-drama loosely adapted from the novel Five Point Someone by Chetan Bhagat. Starring an ensemble cast of Aamir Khan, Kareena Kapoor Khan, R. Madhavan, Sharman Joshi, and Boman Irani, it follows the friendship of three engineering students, and was a satire about social pressures under an Indian education system.
- PK (2014): a science fiction satirical comedy drama that received positive reviews, with praise directed towards Aamir Khan’s performance and the film’s humor, though certain criticism was received for “hurting religious sentiments”.
- Sanju (2018): a biographical drama that follows the life of actor Sanjay Dutt (one of Hirani’s closest collaborators), his addiction to drugs, arrest for alleged association with the 1993 Bombay bombings, relationship with his father, comeback in the industry, the eventual drop of charges from Bombay blasts, and release after completing his jail term.
