Rajkumar Hirani is a cinematic master of family-friendly humour in Bollywood. With his latest work being the Shah Rukh Khan-starrer Dunki, Hirani’s filmography is adorned with delightful comedy-dramas most of which carry an underlying social message.
Here’s a look at Hirani’s finest works in his short but impactful filmography.
Early success with Munnabhai films
Starting out as an assistant director under Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Hirani carved his niche in mainstream Bollywood with the medical comedy Munnabhai MBBS which starred Sanjay Dutt as a gangster who aspires to become a doctor.
Earning immensely positive reviews, Hirani followed up the movie with the spiritual sequel Lage Raho Munnabhai which advocated Gandhian ideals of non-violence in everyday life. The movie’s surreal premise found the titular goon saving an old-age home after he starts having visions of the Indian freedom fighter Mahatma Gandhi.
A Successful Partnership with Aamir Khan
Apart from Sanjay Dutt, Rajkumar Hirani’s most enduring acting collaborator has been Aamir Khan. The Bollywood star first joined forces with Hirani in 3 Idiots, a comedy-drama set in the cutthroat world of Indian engineering colleges. Pairing Khan alongside character actors R Madhavan and Sharma Joshi, Hirani crafted a powerful narrative that satirizes the country’s education system in the director’s typical heartwarming way.
3 Idiots was followed by PK, another satire that addressed religious dogmas from the point of view of a naive alien. Despite rousing some controversy, PK was an instant hit among the country’s religiously diverse populace and still rests on the box-office as one of the highest-grossing Bollywood movies.
A Semi-Biographical Detour
Hirani took a break from his social message dramas in 2018 with Sanju, a semi-biographical look at the turbulent life of the filmmaker’s recurring collaborator and personal friend Sanjay Dutt. From fighting drug addiction to going to jail on charges of terrorist links, Dutt has had his fair share of real-life drama. And while Sanju spurred some critical debate on creative liberties, it was still a hit with Ranbir Kapoor’s convincing performance as the Bollywood actor.
An Immigrant Comedy with Shah Rukh Khan
After two critical and commercial successes with Aamir Khan, Hirani set his eyes on the other big Khan of Bollywood: the one known as SRK. Titled Dunki (a local pronunciation of the word “donkey”), the comedy dealt with the struggles of illegal Indian immigrants to America. While its theatrical opening didn’t match the standards of his previous hits, Dunki is still a sweet, little addition to Hirani’s feel-good track record.
Why PK is Rajkumar Hirani’s best movie
PK is not just one of Aamir Khan’s best movies but it can also be regarded as Rajkumar Hirani’s finest work. A close contender can be the duo’s other collaboration 3 Idiots but PK is Hirani at his quintessential peak. With Khan playing an eccentric alien, PK explores India’s multi-religious identity and the dogmas within it.
For the sake of his popular audience, Hirani has frequently steered clear of socio-political subjects in his films. However, PK is arguably his most audacious piece of art, one that caused debate even before it was released. Nevertheless, everyone should see the film because it does not constitute a hostile critique of organized religion. Rather, it just raises polite issues about how false prophets might misrepresent and defame religion. PK has it all, remaining as Hirani's best work to this day, from Khan's comedic performance as the infantile alien to an intense romantic plotline that crosses national boundaries.
Where can you stream Rajkumar Hirani’s filmography?
Most of Rajkumar Hirani’s movies can be streamed on Netflix and Prime Video.
