Will Munnabhai do the gig again?

Dia Mirza and Junior Bachchan have put in special appearances for this sequel. Lage Raho Munnabhai score disappoints

The wait is finally over. The good-hearted goon - Munnabhai, who made us guffaw as well as ponder over ills ailing the practice of medicine - returns to the marquees on September 1.

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The first part, Munnabhai M.B.B.S, was released with no fanfare whatsoever in the winter of 2003. But it had gone on to become the sleeper blockbuster of the year in addition to setting higher standards for Indian cinema to follow. In fact, Munnabhai M.B.B.S has the unique distinction of being made into a Hollywood film by 20th Century Fox.

Actor Sanjay Dutt as Murli Prasad Sharma aka Munnabhai or Munna supported by Arshad Warsi as the inimitable Circuit will be seen again in Lage Raho Munna Bhai, a movie that is expected to witness a bumper opening.

The much-awaited new chapter in life of the much-loved Munna is attracting mounting enquiries for block bookings weeks before cinema halls open the window for advance booking.

Expectations from the film by the writer-producer-director team of Vidhu Vinod Chopra and Rajkumar Hirani are sky-high to say the least, according to all trade indicators.

In the sequel, Munna, who confronts every situation with his unique street-wise attitude and humour, goes on an unexpected historical tour that brings him face-to-face with teachings of Mahatma Gandhi.

Much like this year's blockbuster - Rang De Basanti - the filmmakers are apparently trying to establish that the Father of the Nation and his ideals continue to have relevance in today's time.

Once again Arshad is Munna's trusted handyman who fixes everything for him, including his love life.

Among the changes, Boman Irani, who had entertained all as Dr J Asthana in the original, returns in a new avatar in part two. Ditto for Jimmy Shergill.

And Vidya Balan replaces Gracy Singh, who was Munna's love interest in the original. Dia Mirza is the other new addition and Abhishek Bachchan is rumoured to have put in a special appearance as her screen husband.

In take two Munna falls in love with the voice of popular Radio Jockey Jhanvi, played by Vidya. Complications arise when Jhanvi mistakes our good-hearted goon for a professor of history and forces him to give a lecture to her family.

As Munna tries to sort out this 'minor' entanglement in his otherwise perfect life, Circuit comes up with a bright solution. And then, the most unusual thing occurs in Munna's life including an interface with Gandhi.

Shantanu Moitra's score for Lage Raho Munna Bhai is nothing to write home about. But it is very likely it picks up once its situation or scenario is more obvious, once the film hits the theatre.

Unlike the original in which the novel characterisations were the best part of the film, the sequel has to deal with the fact that it has little surprises to offer.

Meeting expectations from the film to entertain as much as the original including delivering a social message will be doubly difficult for the film. Here is the hope Munna gets it right second time around, especially, because talks are already underway for part three.