In Rajkumar Hirani's 2006 comedy Lage Raho Munna Bhai, a slightly inebriated Murli Prasad Sharma (Sanjay Dutt) tells an equally tipsy Circuit (Arshad Warsi) about his time spent sober with Jhanvi (Vidya Balan), the local radio talk show host.
What follows is a fun, entertaining, and humorous item number focused on wine, woman and song ... and the lyrics can be translated as:
Circuit: Wassup, Bro ...? Your smile's wider than the Ganges ... Wassup, Bro ...? C'mon, Bro ... C'mon ... C'mon, Bro ... C'mon ... You gotta tell me, man! C'mon ...
Murli: Get the cards printed!
Circuit: C'mon, Bro ... Wha ...?
Murli: Where's my tuxedo?
Consider it done! I said ...
Consider it done!
Consider it done! Waa, waa, waa ...
Consider it done!
Circuit: Start at the beginning, Bro! From the top! So where did you go?
Murli: The question is not "where" ... it's "how" ...
Circuit: How, Bro?
Murli: In the Kissing Car, dude!
Circuit: Ok, I've heard of side-car ... Nascar ... Madagascar ... even Oscar! What the heck is a Kissing Car?
Murli: One in which you kiss, man! So, I found a Kissing Car and we melted like candy bars!
Circuit: But Bro, didn't the driver peep?
Murli: A 100 rupee bill made him crawl and he promptly heard nature's call!
Circuit: You're a genius! Go on ...
Murli: A kiss here, a cuddle there, she said, "Munna, you're my teddy bear!"
Circuit: Really, Bro?
Consider it done!
Consider it done!
Consider it done!
Consider it done!Circuit: So, then where'd you go? The movies?
Murli: No, dude!
Circuit: Chinese food?
Murli: Nope ... Circus ... Circus!
Circuit: Why?
Murli: To pay the lion a visit, dude!
Circuit: Huh?
Murli: The ringmaster thanked me for the money, cracked the whip on the lion's fanny ...
Circuit: What happened then, Bro?
Murli: The lion's roar got me a hug so good. I said to Leo, "Once more, dude?"
Circuit: Awesome! You called him "dude"?
Murli: Her hug was so damn electric. Circuit, my heart went ballistic!
Circuit: Really, Bro?
Consider it done!
Consider it done!
Consider it done! Hey Circuit!
Consider it done!Consider it done! Oh, Oh, Oh!
Consider it done!
Consider it done! Oh, Oh, Oh!
Consider it done!Circuit: Did it really happen, Bro?
Murli: Yup!
Three things that makes this item number stand out:
- The actors pre-recorded the lyrics in the studio which helped create an honest and enjoyable performance of the scene. Lyricist Swanand Kirkire said, "they are not simple lines, but they come so simply from their mouths."
- The lighting effects repeatedly converted a dark, desolate street into a brightly-lit, party-like atmosphere.
- The chorus "Samjho Ho Hi Gaya" is simple, fun, and uplifting. It is a sentiment that can be used a variety of situations with a smile on your face.
In a MovieTalkies.com interview, Arshad Warsi described filming the item number as one of his favorite and least favorite moments:
"For the song, 'Samjho Ho Hi Gaya', Shantanu, our music director, and Raju, actually had me sing. It really freaked me out. I really thought Shantanu was out to ruin his own career. I’m a terrible singer. Even my wife kept calling Raju and warning him of my incredible lack of singing talent. But since the director asked me to do it, I braced up towards it, thinking that since Sanju has sung before, I would have to do just some dialogues and Sanju would take care of the rest. It was just the opposite. I did all the singing. But it was a really fun experience for me and maybe I have found a way to survive if I flop as an actor."
This song is also a delight to watch because the on-screen and off-screen camaraderie of the actors and crew carries over into the item number. In an interview on MovieTalkies, Vidya Balan explains:
"I generally am a prankster on set. But my most vivid memory is of when everyone including the director got together and played a prank on me and laughed at me making a fool of myself. On the shooting of 'Samjho Ho Hi Gaya', the choreographer, Ganesh Acharya, was briefing me before a take and showed me an unbelievably difficult move where I had to leap on Sanju with both my legs up in the air. It just seemed like the dancers could do it with such ease. I got really nervous because I just couldn’t do it without looking absolutely ridiculous. And I rehearsed it a couple times and they got everything on tape. It turned out they were just pulling my leg. I only found out when everyone from the light boys to the director burst out laughing. That take was not in the plan at all. I looked so ridiculous, but it was all in good humour."
Below is a "making of" video as well as the full "Samjho Ho Hi Gaya" song, composed by Shantanu Moitra with lyrics by Swanand Kirkire, choreographed by Ganesh Acharya, sung by Vinod Rathod and picturized (and also sung by) Sanjay Dutt and Arshad Warsi.
If you liked this, please visit our other Music Monday posts.