The 2003-film starred Sanjay Dutt as the lovable goon and gave a new life to the actor's career.
Hirani, however, said the film was originally planned as a TV series and he had approached Madhavan for the titular role.
"Before Munna Bhai MBBS got made into a film, years back I had written it as a series. I wanted to do a serial out of it and that time Maddy (Madhavan) was doing many serials, he was a big star on television and I had approached him and he said 'I am too busy I don't think I can do it'.
To which, Madhavan added, "I always knew it (the film) had a better future."
The duo was speaking at the trailer launch of film "Saala Khadoos", which stars the "Tanu Weds Manu Returns" actor and is co-produced by Hirani.
The "3 Idiots" helmer also said that he is working on the next script of Munna Bhai.
"Yes we've been working on a Munna Bhai script. We have 4-5 Munna Bhai scripts written but they were never as good as the earlier two so we kept them aside.
The bilingual sports drama "Saala Khadoos" is scheduled to release on January 29.
You’ve reached your limit of {{free_limit}} free articles this month.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
Already subscribed? Log in
Subscribe to read the full story →
Smart Quarterly
₹900
3 Months
₹300/Month
Smart Essential
₹2,700
1 Year
₹225/Month
Super Saver
₹3,900
2 Years
₹162/Month
Renews automatically, cancel anytime
Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans
Exclusive premium stories online
Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors


Complimentary Access to The New York Times
News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic
Business Standard Epaper
Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share


Curated Newsletters
Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox
Market Analysis & Investment Insights
In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor


Archives
Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997
Ad-free Reading
Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements


Seamless Access Across All Devices
Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app
