‘Too Close To A Shah Rukh Khan Movie’: Arshad Warsi Explains Why Munna Bhai Chale America Never Happened

Although he had been around for a few years and featured in multiple films, it was Rajkumar Hirani’s Munna Bhai MBBS (2003) that truly changed the trajectory of Arshad Warsi’s career. His portrayal of Circuit not only won widespread acclaim but also embedded itself firmly in popular culture. What many don’t know, however, is that Warsi almost walked away from the role that would define him for years to come.

Why Arshad Warsi Wanted To Say No To Munna Bhai MBBS

Arshad recently revealed that when the offer first came his way, he was seriously considering rejecting it. Having already played several small roles—many of them in films backed by Vidhu Vinod Chopra—he feared Circuit would be yet another forgettable character.

“I no longer wanted to do

small roles,” Warsi said during a conversation with The Lallantop. “So, I was on my way to tell him that, ‘Sir, please call me only if you have good roles. If I keep doing such small characters, my career will be ruined.’”

At that point, he was convinced that even if the film turned out to be excellent, it wouldn’t change how the industry perceived him.

The Tarot Card Reader Who Changed Everything

On his way to Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s office to decline the film, fate intervened in an unexpected way. Warsi happened to meet tarot card reader Ritambhara Dewan and shared his dilemma with her.

“I told her about the film and who all were associated with it,” he recalled, adding that Tabu was initially cast in the project. Ritambhara checked her cards and immediately urged him to take up the role, confidently predicting that the film would work.

Arshad, however, remained unconvinced. “I told her, ‘You don’t understand how the industry works. Considering the kind of roles that I have been receiving, even if the movie turns out to be the world’s best, nobody would still recognise me,’” he said. He insisted the role would be terrible and that he should avoid it.

Interestingly, Ritambhara also predicted that the female lead would be changed.

A Prophecy That Came True

When Warsi reached Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s office, he was surprised to see Gracy Singh there. He soon learned that Tabu had exited the film due to date issues—exactly as the tarot reader had predicted.

That moment gave him pause. While he was still unsure about the role, Warsi decided to take a leap of faith for Rajkumar Hirani, whom he had grown fond of.

“My only request was to give me the freedom to have fun,” he said.

How Circuit Was Born Through Improvisation

Arshad revealed that Circuit’s original name was Khujli, a detail he wasn’t comfortable with. “It reminded me of the roles Kader Khan used to play,” he said, adding that the name was changed at his suggestion.

Much of what made Circuit iconic—his humour, body language, and dialogue delivery—came from improvisation. Hirani allowed Warsi complete creative freedom, a collaboration that only deepened in Lage Raho Munna Bhai (2006).

By then, Warsi said, the director understood him so well that “everything he had planned for the character was already in the script.”

Why Munna Bhai Chale America Was Shelved

During the same interaction, Warsi also spoke about the long-abandoned third instalment, Munna Bhai Chale America. According to him, the project was dropped because of its similarities to Shah Rukh Khan’s My Name Is Khan (2010).

“As far as I know, My Name Is Khan’s story turned out to be very similar,” he said, explaining that both films involved Munna and Circuit meeting the US president.

Rajkumar Hirani, Warsi noted, is extremely particular about originality. “He does not like it when his work resembles other movies,” adding that upon learning about Oh My God (2012), Hirani rewrote the second half of PK (2014) three times.

Despite the shelving of that project, Warsi revealed that Hirani currently has three scripts ready for the third Munna Bhai film—and according to him, all of them are “far better than most movies that release today.”