Sanju is just the tip of the iceberg, for Sanjay Dutt's controversial and colourful roller coaster of a life, and probably doesn't even scratch the surface. But unfortunately what Hirani has chosen to do, is exclude the remotely difficult or contentious aspects of Dutt's life and presented him as a victim of circumstances, who triumphed against numerous evils and emerged victorious. Understandably, you can't include everything in a biopic. The only time when there is some self-awareness in the film, is when Dutt says at his father's funeral, "I could have been a better son." As a result, Dutt is absolved of all responsibility for all of his actions, and he towers over the audience as a father-loving figure. However, in Sanju, Hirani tries to project a strong defence of Dutt, without even acknowledging the troubling greys of Dutt's life and character, which had led him into trouble in the first place. He explored the relevance of Gandhian thought with Lage Raho Munnabhai, the dangers of rote-learning in 3 idiots, and the glaring problems of self-appointed godmen and religious fanaticism (PK). With Munnabhai MBBS, he enchanted his audience with making them understand empathy in the difficult medical world. Hirani's films are usually known for the simple and unsubtle (occasionally problematic) humour, and a common-sensical approach to life's daily complexities. There is only a passing mention of Sanjay Dutt's trips to Dubai to mingle with the underworld. According to Sanju, he had those weapons because he wanted to protect his father and sisters, as rape and death threats were being levelled at them from every quarter. He went to jail because he hid weapons that were sourced from Abu Salem, who was a terrorist convicted in the 1993 Mumbai blasts case and is still serving his jail sentence under TADA (Terrorist and Disruptive Activities Act).īut no. Just FYI, even if certain sections might have misreported the trial, Dutt didn't go to jail because of the reports. The film blatantly refuses to take an in-depth exploration of Dutt's tendency to make bad choices, and neither are you given much space to decide for yourself. Dutt might not have been a terrorist, but the film doesn't tell us why Dutt was associated with bloodthirsty gangsters and bought weapons from them.
The media is baying for Dutt's blood, and newspapers are churning out false reports that connect Dutt and his father Sunil Dutt, actor, producer and Congress politician, to a terrorist conspiracy that culminated in the Mumbai serial bomb blasts of 1993.ĭutt chants, "I'm not a terrorist," and the film focusses on supporting his claims. The biggest khalnayak in this tale of Bollywood's Khalnayak is tabloid journalism. THE TERRORIST TAG AND ATTACK ON THE MEDIA And this is bizarre, considering Priya Dutt is known for voicing strong opinions.
They're literally in the background, reduced to teary-eyed props. On that note, a lot of the comedy in Sanju is in very poor taste, including a rather appalling scene when Dutt creates a tamasha at the hospital after finding out about Ruby's father's death.īut what's more upsetting than all this? Sanjay Dutt's sisters, Priya and Namrata Dutt have practically no role in the film.
But that's all in good taste apparently, and you're not expected to judge him for this escapade. The woman is played by Karishma Tanna, who has a blink-and-you-miss it role.
The film even features a "comic" scene where Dutt steals his best friend's girlfriend. one shouldn't know what is happening with the other," he had said at India Today Mind Rocks. I was in three relationships at one point of time.