We Have To Reinvent Ourselves For Comedies Rajkumar Hirani

More than two decades after the release of Munna Bhai MBBS (2003), actors Arshad Warsi and Vir Hirani — who appeared together on screen in Munna Bhai MBBS as father and son, named ‘Circuit’ and ‘Short Circuit’ respectively — have reunited for Rajkumar Hirani’s maiden web-series Pritam and Pedro. Set in Goa, the series features Arshad as Pedro Gonsalves, a cop with no knowledge of computers, who is transferred to the cyber cell where he teams up with Pritam Parker, a hacker, to trace the kidnapped son of a minister.

For Rajkumar Hirani, the series happened by chance, “A lot of things in life happen by chance. Every time I met Uday Shankar, he would ask me why I wasn’t making something for streaming,” says Hirani, who has produced and co-written the show. When he came across the writings of cybercrime expert Amit Dubey, he thought of weaving them and developing a larger narrative. Since that was not coming through, they created a warm buddy story featuring a cop and a hacker.

Hirani roped in cinematographer-cum-director Avinash Arun to helm the project. “We vibe well. We even share the same birth date,” says Hirani. For Arun, who has earlier directed shows like Paatal Lok Season 2 (2025) and School of Lies (2023), the project was a chance to work in Goa. Hirani points out that while he had filmed a song of Lage Raho Munna Bhai (2006) in Goa, this was the first time he had set an entire narrative there. The making of a series, which combines cybercrime, friendship and comedy, had many fun moments too. Once Arshad made Hirani sit in the back of an open pick-up vehicle as they drove him around Goa at night.

Even though Hirani considered other actors for the role of Pedro, he eventually offered the role to Arshad, his former collaborator. Known for his comic timing, Arshad says it was a joy to work with Hirani’s son Vir who is making his screen debut. “Vir was a baby who was pushed into doing something when we shot for Munna Bhai MBBS. I never thought that we would be working together. It’s a wonderful warm feeling. He is special to me. He is not just a co-actor. I look out for him. It is hard to explain. But if my son were acting, this is what it would be like,” says Arshad.

Actor Vikrant Massey joined the cast to play the role of cybercriminal Martin in this comedy-drama, scheduled to release on JioHotstar on July 3. The 12th Fail actor was drawn to the opportunity of playing “an anti-hero” in a series that examines society’s growing dependence on technology. Though he had explored darker territory in Sector 36 (2024), he says this role offered a different challenge. “This is Rajkumar Hirani’s world, which gives an actor the opportunity to explore different skill sets,” he says.

Following the success of his movies, including Munna Bhai MBBS, 3 Idiots (2009) and PK (2014), Hirani is known for feel-good comedy that packs emotions and social messages. However, both Hirani and Arshad agree that making audiences laugh has become significantly challenging in the age of reels, social media and stand-up comedy. “The moment you open your phone, you’re seeing jokes everywhere. The challenge is how do you hold the audience’s attention for three hours? We have to reinvent ourselves while making comedy films,” says the director-producer. Arshad believes humour itself has evolved. “Gen Z has a very different sensibility,” he says, noting that younger viewers often gravitate towards sharper, more satirical comedy.

Yet, both of them underline the importance of exercising restraint. “There’s a fine line between humour and buffoonery,” says Arshad. “Once you cross it, it stops being funny.” Hirani points out that much of comedy historically derives from someone else’s misfortune and cites examples of Charlie Chaplin’s movies and Tom and Jerry show. “However, at some point, you need to know where to draw the line,” Hirani says. Massey believes that this balancing act is particularly important today. While formats and viewing habits have undergone a change, the actor believes audiences still respond to stories that remain humane. “In Raju Sir’s films, humour has never been explicit. The challenge now is to be sensitive, humane and entertaining without relying on easy shortcuts,” the actor says.

Alaka Sahani is a prominent film critic and journalist based in Mumbai. With a care... Read More