The only director, all of whose films are superhits, started his journey with a film that was rejected by a superstar but still succeeded.
Success and failure are part and parcel of any profession. In one as unpredictable as films where success depends on fans’ reactions, success becomes even more difficult. Every year, thousands of films are produced but only a handful become successful. Not even the biggest stars today can claim to have only successes under their belt. But this one filmmaker can. Not only has he delivered only hits, but all his films have been critically acclaimed as well.
The only Bollywood director with 100% success rate
Rajkumar Hirani, who celebrated his 61st birthday on Monday, is a rare filmmaker who has only delivered hits in his career. The director-producer has been making movies for two decades now and all of them, so far, have been successful at the box office. What’s more, all his films have been praised by critics as well, and won him three National Film Awards too, an enviable record for any Bollywood filmmaker.
Rajkumar Hirani’s stellar record at box office
Hirani began his filmmaking career in 2003 with Munnabhai MBBS. The film was originally meant for Shah Rukh Khan but the star could not accept the role. Instead, the title role went to Sanjay Dutt, who was just returning from one of the lowest points of his career and personal life. Yet, the film was a hit, grossing over 50 crore. Hirani did one better with the film’s sequel – Lage Raho Munnabhai – which grossed Rs 126 crore worldwide. Since then, all of Hirani’s films have gone on to break box office records. In 2009, 3 Idiots became the first Indian film to gross Rs 400 crore. Five years later, Hirani broke his own record with PK, which earned Rs 770 crore. And in 2018, he directed Sanju, the highest-grossing film of Ranbir Kapoor’s career. It earned Rs 586 crore. Combined, Hirani’s films have earned just a shade under Rs 2000 crore.
Rajkumar Hirani’s upcoming film Dunki
Now, 20 years after Munnabhai MBBS, Hirani is finally collaborating with Shah Rukh Khan for his upcoming film Dunki. Shah Rukh has gone on record to say that he had wanted to work with Hirani for a long time and asked for a script where the two could collaborate. The film, which deals with the issue of illegal immigration, also stars Taapsee Pannu, Boman Irani, and Vicky Kaushal. The heavily-anticipated film releases in theatres on December 21.
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 "Meet Bollywood director with zero flops")
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