'Munna Bhai MBBS' director Vidhu Vinod Chopra spoke about how the film was not well-received initially, but went on to become commercial success. He said, "'Munna Bhai MBBS' opened to empty theatres...because nobody bought...[it] outside of Mumbai." Distributors rejected the film because "nobody outside Mumbai would resonate due to language and cultural nuances", but it succeeded regardless.