Sanju Review

Sanju Movie Review :

Sanju is a love letter from Sanjay dutt to his now deceased father Sunil dutt. This is done via the film maker Raju Hirani, who is a master at crafting films. It is also a film, which attempts to show Sanju Baba’s side of the story. Unfortunately, that is where the film falls a bit short.

Let’s talk about it more, because as said in the film, no topic is so simple that it can be understood, judged and a verdict given in a few sentences.

Story :

The film is presented as semi-autobiographical and semi fictional. Real names are used but in conjunction with fictional characters. So for people who are going in to see the real story behind the man, might be a bit disappointed. As its more of a fictional retelling of sanju’s story.

However that does not dilute the powerful father son bond shown in the film and the trials and tribulations of a famous person’s life.

The story does its job in trying to clear the name or failing that at least give an alternative view of sanju’s life.

Acting :

The trailers showed off how good Ranbir Kapoor is at slipping into Sanjay Dutt’s shoes. The full film doesn’t disappoint in the acting department. Ranbir Kapoor deserves a best actor award for his portrayal of Sanjay Dutt. He is really good in the role and doesn’t miss a beat.

Supporting him is Vicky Kaushal. Who Plays Sanju Baba’s loyal friend. It is said that he is the amalgamation of 2 or 3 of sanjay’s real life friends. Vicky is REALLY good in this film, he starts out as an over the top Gujju Caricature but soon fills his role with heart and warmth. His role is the third most important role in this film about a father, son and his friend.

Which brings us to the father. Sunil dutt is played by Paresh Rawal and although he is a really great actor, he cannot hope to match up with the real Sunil dutt who is a legend. Rawal tries really hard and mostly succeeds but still remembering the real Dutt Sahib and his acting, this performance falls a bit short. But that is not the actor’s fault. Not many can film Sunil Dutt’s shoes. Infact currently no one in Bollywood can act and convince an audience that they are watching Sunil Dutt on screen.

Manisha Koirala, Dia Mirza, Anushka sharma, Sonam Kapoor and Boman Irani round of the rest of the notable casting. Everyone of them has done justice to their roles, but none of the side characters have a standout performance. There is a nice cameo by Arshad Warsi which made me miss his Circuit character even more…

Direction & Editing:

Raju Hirani is credited as the director-editor of the film. He is one of India’s best directors and he doesn’t disappoint in the least. But the subject matter lets him down a bit. This is not munnabhai or PK, this is a real life story and has to be dealt with sensitivity and there is not much of the classic Raju hirani comedy. Which is fine, but it does make the film a bit boring and slightly dragging in parts.

Regardless, he manages to outshine the writing and somehow turn this simple story into something better.

Overall :

In this film, Sanjay dutt has told his side of the sotry, but it is missing important details of his life such as his first marriage, his fallout (supposed) with his own sister and how he met his current wife. Maybe all of that would have diluted from this script but these omissions do seem to try and show Sanjay as a different person than he might be in real life.

Not to mention the message of the film is given as,

1. Sunil Dutt was a great man who did a lot for his wife and children

2. The press is a horrible thing, almost a daily consumption drug of masala news and sensation (the movie’s words… not mine)

If you would find such a thing offensive, then this film is not for you. But dutt and hirani have taken a LOT of pot shots at the press and the only pervasive villain in the film is looming specter of the press. This is not going to make the press happy.

Rating :

This is a solid 7/10 film. Not as good as Hirani’s previous films. But an important film for Sanjay Dutt, the misunderstood star.

Conclusion:

This film DOES address the whole, is he a terrorist thing. In fact a LARGE portion of the film is all about that. I don’t have any personal opinion on the same, but it is part of the film.

In the end, will it change the minds of those who think he is a criminal and making a film about him is not ok ?

NOPE.

The film also addresses it via a dialog by Anushka sharma. They know it won’t change the minds of the haters, but it does give Sanjay a chance to say his two words.

Only question is… are you curious enough to spend your money to hear his side of the story ?