The Beautiful World of Rajkumar Hirani (and what Communicators can Learn from it)

Fifteen years. Four films.

Just four – Munna Bhai MBBS, Lage Raho Munna Bhai, 3 Idiots and PK.

Yet, Rajkumar Hirani’s name features among the greatest directors of Hindi cinema. His films have made us laugh (and cry), helped us look at the world differently, brought out the good in us and introduced us to catchphrases that turned into mass movements. And yes, they have been hugely successful. What’s better, Hirani is multi-faceted – producing, writing and editing his films as well.

But if there is one role he excels at, it is that of a communicator.

Here’s what we can learn from Rajkumar Hirani and his films.

For the right reasons: A director who has made such few films over so many years must either be terribly laidback or extremely quality-conscious and passionate about good cinema. Watching any of Hirani’s finely-crafted films leaves no doubt in the viewer’s mind that it can only be the latter.

Hirani never strives to make a film that will be a blockbuster. Instead, he focuses on telling a story that he wants to tell and making a film that he himself would like to watch.

Hirani understands that no path-breaking promotional strategy or big-budget campaign can save a product that is sub-optimal. This is even more relevant in the film industry, where viewers, over the years, have got increasingly disillusioned by snazzy promotional campaigns that are often far better than the film itself.

Creating a product for the right reasons and in the right manner are crucial, and communicators must be an integral part of the process.

Building an appetite: Once the product is ready, Hirani, the adman takes over from Hirani, the filmmaker. Much before the film’s release, he begins building anticipation through a host of teasers – casting updates, shoot anecdotes, cast videos, first look posters, song promos, trailers. By the time bookings open, audiences are clambering over each other to get a ticket.

Come to think of it, he doesn’t even need to do any of this. For the credibility he enjoys, a couple of weeks of promotions would suffice. But, the sustained hunger to have many more people experience his product, is what results in packed theatres from day one.

A great product needs to be backed by an equally compelling and engaging promotional campaign. Keeping audiences engaged for a sustained period makes it likelier that they will give the product a chance.

Hook, line and sinker: Why is it that many great presenters begin with a joke or a suspense-filled anecdote? Because it either makes the audience laugh or pay more attention to them. This is a great way of quickly connecting with people and getting them to invest in the message emotionally.

Rajkumar Hirani uses this technique in the first scene of each of his films:

• The ‘assassination attempt’ scene (Munna Bhai MBBS)
• The ‘kidnapping attempt’ scene (Lage Raho Munna Bhai)
• The ‘heart attack on the plane’ scene (3 Idiots)
• The ‘spaceship landing’ scene (PK)

Cutting to the chase and engaging people quickly is a must-do in an age of increasingly-intelligent audiences and fast-reducing attention spans.

A little slice of life: Once the audience is relaxed, Hirani introduces them to relatable characters in real-life settings. He understands that while we Indians may aspire for more, what we really want is warmth (‘apnapan’, in Hindi). And what better place to give audiences that warmth than in the dimly-lit, cozy confines of a movie theatre – a place where we can be unafraid to be ourselves?

What also helps, is the authenticity – an aspect carefully constructed using a mix of:

• A star protagonist who’s a natural fit for the role
• An ensemble cast comprising terrific character actors
• Realistic dialogues and performances
• Realistic set design and cinematography
• Identifiable scenarios

Creating effective slice-of-life communication involves maintaining a fine balance between reality (to establish connect) and aspiration (to nudge people towards wanting to make the product part of their lives).

For a nation of billion people: Why is it that so many kids love “3 Idiots”, a film about students in engineering college? Why is it that most dialogues in Hirani’s films are in Hindi, and rarely in English or urban slang? It is because Hirani has the knack of making his products relevant to diverse audiences, without ever dumbing things down.

It isn’t a coincidence that all his films have at least one song that kids love (“Chanda Mama So Gaye” from Munna Bhai MBBS, “Bande Mein Tha Dum” from Lage Raho Munna Bhai, “Aal Izz Well” and “Zoobi Doobi” from 3 Idiots and “Tinga Tinga Nanga Punga” from PK).

Not just music, his films are filled with goofy humour, dramatic moments, emotional appeal and romance to cater to a diverse pan-India audience – while always keeping things child-friendly, a key success factor for Indian films.

In India, it is crucial to create offerings that are relevant to diverse audiences without falling prey to the temptation of pandering to the lowest common denominator.

Being human: Just when the audience begins to get comfortable, Hirani throws in a shocker – an incident that shakes up the protagonists and makes them highly vulnerable.

Boman Irani’s insult of Sunil Dutt’s character (Munna Bhai MBBS), Boman Irani’s attempt to usurp the old-age home (Lage Raho Munna Bhai), the suicide of Ali Fazal’s character (3 Idiots) and the death of Sanjay Dutt’s character (PK) are examples of how Hirani is unafraid to use great tragedy/suffering as a technique to establish the vulnerability of the protagonist. Each of these incidents puts the protagonist in a position that seems completely hopeless.

This is especially commendable for a filmmaker such as Hirani, because bringing in these ‘harsh’ elements could risk alienating younger audiences, but Hirani still uses them as a key plot point to take the film to an even higher plane.

Brands often hesitate to show vulnerability in a crisis. The desire to come across as being ‘on top of the situation’ makes them communicate in a seemingly calm and composed manner – but people know better. Displaying vulnerability in crisis situations helps brands come across as authentic and helps strengthen people’s trust in them.

In it, together: Hirani’s protagonists always fight back – but not the way typical Indian film heroes do. They don’t pick up a gun. Instead, they pick up a cause worth fighting for. This is also where Hirani takes the game to a much higher level.

Hirani’s films are always about much more than what the trailers promise. Here are the trailers of his four films – Munna Bhai MBBS, Lage Raho Munna Bhai, 3 Idiots and PK.

What the trailers promise vs. what the movie aims to establish:

• Munna Bhai MBBS: Fun adventures of a good-natured don who wants to be a doctor vs. the need to infuse humaneness, warmth and empathy into healthcare
• Lage Raho Munna Bhai: Fun adventures of a good-natured don who wants to do something respectable vs. the continued relevance of Gandhian values in contemporary India
• 3 Idiots: Fun adventures of three students at engineering college vs. the need to eliminate social and family pressures from education
• PK: Fun adventures of a quirky person in a new place vs. the need to question religious dogmas and superstitions

Communicate how your product doesn’t just serve a functional purpose but can be used to bring about greater common good. This is especially relevant in a day and age when people are demanding brands to stand for a larger purpose.

Soaring high: Hirani explores some very unusual themes in his films – learning Gandhian values from Gandhi himself (Lage Raho Munna Bhai), learning the Bhojpuri language merely by holding the hands of another person (PK), a middle-aged don attempting to become a doctor (Munna Bhai MBBS). Very few leading filmmakers explore themes as far-fetched as these, for fear of being ridiculed or rejected.

However, Hirani’s desire to tell the most captivating story possible helps overcome his skepticism regarding the acceptability of his concepts and themes. This unbridled passion to give the viewer a unique cinematic experience is what finds reciprocation from the audience as well.

Leading brands often stay in the ‘safe’ zone, not just in their communication, but in business decisions as well. It is imperative to keep exploring new ideas and approaches to keep the brand fresh and relevant in the minds of people.

Leaving the door open: A hallmark of Hirani’s work is his positive approach – even towards the antagonists in his films. In Hirani’s films, no person is beyond redemption. No problem is truly insurmountable. No situation is bad enough to bring out the worst in a person. All it needs is positivity, imagination, courage and unity.

Let’s take the example of the ‘paan spitting’ scene from Lage Raho Munna Bhai (watch from 1:40 to 3:00). Now, chewing and spitting ‘paan’ is a very common (though unfortunate) practice among millions of Indians. In the hands of a lesser director, the treatment would either have been too preachy, negative or downright offensive. Instead, Hirani’s treatment ensures that people who indulge in this practice get the message, without feeling spoken down to. Imagine a habitual paan-chewer watching the film with his wife and kids. Hirani feels for him – and makes sure he doesn’t lose face in front of his family.

Great brands and communicators always bring people together. They help diverse people and ideologies find middle ground through their messages. This also helps widen their follower base, rather than staying restricted to a niche audience.

Time for action: As a socially-conscious filmmaker, Hirani has always viewed films as a medium of social transformation. As such, it is important that his audience walks out of the film with a resolve to take his message forward. He achieves this by:

• Making his characters relatable, achieved by showing ordinary middle-class Indians facing challenges yet remaining upbeat against all odds
• Simplifying key takeaways, achieved through catchphrases such as “Jaadu ki Jhappi” (Munna Bhai MBBS), “Gandhigiri” (Lage Raho Munna Bhai), “All is Well” (3 Idiots) and “Wrong Number Hai” (PK)
• Empowering the common man, achieved by showing the protagonist as someone who inspires the change, but one that is ultimately taken forward by the masses in the form of a mass movement (think of the clever use of a radio show in ‘Lage Raho Munna Bhai’ and a TV show in ‘PK’ to help the protagonist reach millions of people simultaneously)

Hirani eschews dated approaches to ‘heroism’ and shows his protagonist as a servant leader who exists to bring out the good in people. This is not just a more contemporary approach to heroism, but one that is more likely to inspire and drive change. The heroism of Hirani’s protagonists lies in getting people to buy-in to the need for change, and then giving them a platform, a way to be heroes themselves.

This approach – above all else – is crucial for brands in the social age. Individuals today expect nothing less than complete individual freedom of thought and action. They are fine with being influenced, if it is done respectfully and credibly. And once they respect a brand, they back it with their voice and social currency.

Rajkumar Hirani’s films appear simple.

But that is precisely his greatest achievement.

Because no transformational idea was ever too complex to grasp.

Hirani works his way backward from his desired outcome (to inspire change), and engineers everything – his cast, his story, his structure, his music, his promotions – in line with it.

That’s the essence of good communication – and there is much to learn from it.

(Co-authored by Shireen Sultana)