Munnabhai MBBS is being remade in Tamil as Vasool Raja MBBS. The lead role is being played by Kamal Haasan, the role of Circuit is being played by Prabhu, and Boman Irani's role is being played by Prakash Raj. Sneha is opposite Kamal in this movie.

I've never really seen Prakash Raj do comedy - is he any good?

http://specials.rediff.com/movies/2004/jun/07sld1.htm

He is one of the better character actors in India. Who can forget his amazing performance in Iruvar, Assai, and even the recent and overly masala Ghili, which made audiences laugh with his "I love you" speech"!!!

So him doing a full out comedy may be the best thing happening in this tripe remake....

Prakash Raj is very good in OKKADU the orginal GHILLI.

He is a good actor, no doubt, but I think he looks too young for Bomman Irani's role.

I know he's a good actor, just don't recall seeing him in a comedy role.

And what makes you say its gonna be a 'tripe remake'?

Censored! Kamal in deep waters yet again

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/arti ... urpg-2.cms

CHENNAI: Southern superstar Kamal Haasan's brushes with the censors never seem to end.

Now it is the turn of Vasoolraja MBBS , the Tamil remake of Bollywood blockbuster Munnabhai MBBS , to run into trouble.

The Tamil Nadu Medical Council and the Indian Medical Association are said to be unhappy over the film's title. They have gone to the high court and got a restraint order, which stops the censor board from giving a thumbs up to Vasoolraja...

According to officials of these organisations, the Tamil title Vasoolraja... "belittles the medical profession". Vasoolraja means “king of extortion”.

The film is ready for an August release but without a censor board okay it can be delayed indefinitely.

This is not the first time Haasan and the board have been at loggerheads.

In 2000, the board cuts portions of Haasan's acclaimed film Hey Ram! before release. To infuriate him further, the edited and non-edited script was leaked to the local media, providing spice for his critics.

Some political parties also objected to the name of his film Sandiyar and finally he had to change it to Virumaandi , a name that has proved to be very successful at the box office.

Bah, I think some people are just out to get Kamal at every turn.

Review from Sify


Vasoolraja MBBS
Director
Saran
Producer
Gemini Film Circuit
Music
Bharadwaj
Cast
Kamalhassan, Sneha, Prakash Raj, Nagesh
Post Your Review

By Moviebuzz

Wonder why Tamil directors insist on making remakes of popular hits from other languages? Especially a film like Munnabhai MBBS full of Mumbai tapori lingo and Maharashtrian nativity. And sadly Vasoolraja MBBS just does not stand up to the original. (Also see: On the sets of Vasool Raja)

Still the film has a larkish quality which makes it a paisa vasool! The story of a gangster who strays into medical college to become a doctor and heals his patients with love and laughter is moving, if somewhat contrived. It is Kamal Hassan who is the life blood of the film - the scenes where he shifts into a hostel room, discovers ragging for the first time, his antics in the classroom or mugging up for a crucial viva are amazingly hilarious. (Read interview: The casting was apt for Vasoolraja: Saran)

Rajaraman (Kamal Hassan) is a goon who settles financial disputes through intimidation using muscle power and leads a carefree life. Every year, Raja’s parents (Nagesh and Rohini Hattangadi) pay him a visit thinking that their son is the city's top doctor. (Also view: Sneha at her best, images!)

Overnight his place becomes spic and span clinic with patients! Nagesh bumps into an old acquaintance and dean of a Medical college Dr Viswanathan (Prakash Raj) who practises laughter therapy to bring down blood pressure and thereby tension! (Also read: Alwarpet Andavan arrives!)

They decide to get their children Raja and Janaki (Sneha) married but unfortunately for Raja, the charade comes to an end when the Dean reveals his true profession to his heartbroken father. To prove himself and take revenge on the Dean, Raja with the help of Vaddi (Prabhu) and Karnas fudges the medical entrance exams and joins college to make life miserable for the stressed out Dean.

Munnabhai MBBS's strongest assets were its screenplay and dialogues but here Crazy Mohan’s dialogues are not so funny. The script of Vasoolraja goes awry post interval as a layer of emotional corniness begins to set in and the two songs shot in Switzerland could have easily been done away with in this otherwise smoothly paced fun flick. The songs tuned by Bharadwaj are a major let down.

Kamal Haasan dominates the film as Raja and his comic timing cannot be matched by any other actor. Sneha does a routine role and the on-screen chemistry between the lead pair is missing. Rohini Hattangady, Nagesh, Crazy Mohan and Jayasurya are just adequate while one wonders why a gifted actor like Prabhu was wasted in that role made memorable by Arshad Warsi in the original. He does not have much onscreen time and his role is not properly carved out. Prakash Raj is disappointing.

If you are not looking for a high-brow evening at the movies but for just fun and laughter Vasoolraja MBBS is the right tonic.

Verdict: Paisa Vasool

HMMMM.......

Rohini Hattangady is in this one too?

Gemini Film Circuit is also making this in Kannada as Uppidada MBBS.

Just saw this film at preview show.

Quiet a mixed reaction to it. First thing first... overall the Tamil film is not as good as the Hindi original...which was more polished in terms of screenplay and comedy.

The Tamil version only improves in two departments...technical values and Kamal's performance. Kamal Hassan outdoes Sanjay Dutt with his comedy and the emotional scenes. It was also a breathe of fresh air to see this “MMBS” character not portrayed as a stereotyped Tapori person already seen in countless films.

However the supporting cast in the Tamil version was not as good. Particularly in the case of actor Prabhu who doesn't even touch on the comedy provided by his Hindi counterpart Arshad Warsi (who always was an exceptional comedian - see his first film Tere Mere Sapne.) How comes the director didn’t use someone better like comic actor Vivek as MBBS friend? He could have even used Mahadevan? He was amazing as Kamal comic sidekick in Anbe Sivam (2002). Other misses was the romantic plot involving the leading lady Senha, the screenplay here was just bland and rushed. Both actors needed to have on-screen chemistry with Kamal Hassan, and in this Tamil version neither did.

The songs were pleasant, and had many ranges from Latino to Old School Rap. Funnily enough the Rap song is actually a satire on the A.R Rahman/Blaaze”Baba Rap”, and on screen you can see the fun!!! One rap lyric quote “word to your mother!” something I haven’t heard since the old days of 2PAC, BIGGIE, SOUL2SOUL, ARREST DEVELOPMENT!! I also loved the main theme sung by Kamal Hassan, and it got a nice reaction from the audience. Both Director and Music Composer Cheran and Bharatwaj, who have worked together over 5 films, should be commended for making the soundtrack quite cool…despite what the critics think!!

But I can’t help feel that this film was an overall disappointment particularly because I expected more from director Cheran. Cheran is a strange director with two sides…a commercial filmmaker who has helmed blockbuster films such as Gemini (2002) and Jay Jay (2003). At the same time he has create some wonderful works suited for world cinema; Autograph (2003) & Pandavar Bhoomi (1999). But Vasool Raja MBBS is perhaps his weakest film because he simply just remade the Hindi version scene for scene, done with a miscast of actors! – Shoot the casting person!!!

Cheran has already had some experience in directing remakes, such as his last commercial film Jay Jay, a remake of Serendipity. Cheran took the story, developed better characters and made the sweet and romantic plot his own. It would have been interesting had he done the same for the MMBS story, rather then just "Xerox" copying it. Crazy Mohan, who adapted the script, is also some way to blame for not bothering to improve the Hindi screenplay or the comedy.

Overall rating 5/10

"Word to your mother" goes back to Vanilla Ice, doesn't it?

Sunny, the director of this film is Saran, not Cheran. Saran directed Gemini and Jay Jay, but you are right that Bharadwaj did the music for his films.

Sunny

Sorry to ask you, but do you know Tamil???

Because the biggest score of Vasool Raja over Munna Bhai is Crazy's dialogue and ofcourse Kamal's performance.

I completely agree with you on the selection of Comedian though. Infact Karuna would have been a better choice. Vivek wont be a good fit, because you need someone with a rough look. My other choice would be Jayaram or Prabu Deva.

Roamance in this movie is a little less compared to hindi version, but remember with Kamal anything more romance would be a killer to the movie. I belive you cant get much more than this.

Regarding Charan, I think he has done a better job. When you watch the movie with Audiance, you may get a different feeling, but whole lot of us who went there saw Munna Bhai many times and we didnt feel bored at all. The best (unexpected) scenes were the Hospital Scene, where Kamal out plays his own previous performance.

I dont want to rate this movie, but remaking such a popular film is very difficult and I am sure, this movie will run for 100+ days in India.

Sunny, just a small precision:

- Saran, is the director of VasoolRaja MBBS. He has already directed Amarkalam, Paarthaein Rasithaein, Gemini, Jay Jay (...) and they are all pukka commercial films.

- Cheran, on the other side is the director of the recent Autograph, and has done, Porrkaalam, VetriKodi kattu, Paandavar Bhoomi (...). These films are art/commercial kind of films.

Confusion cleared, I hope,

DreDD

thanks, it makes much sense...as the styles of films are very different!!

I blame the Tamil lingo...its it alway mis-spelled on DVD boxes and even film credits when they translate the wording into english.

A few articles I've read say that outside of the Satyam theater in Chennai it is not doing well.