When the teaser trailer of Sanju was released we knew that the movie would be something quite special to look forward to. When the Sanju trailer was launched, this expectation was confirmed. Ranbir Kapoor’s portrayal of Sanjay Dutt living his fascinating, tortuous, eventful life promises to be riveting. There is also the fact that this is a Raju Hirani film (the Munnabhai films, 3 Idiots, PK).
The movie promises to be a irreverent, honest look at the life of an actor, a son, a drug addict, a womaniser, a terror accused and a prison inmate.
This is a very authentic looking film and viewers have given the trailer an enthusiastic reception. With 22 million + views on YouTube and counting, it is currently the No. 1 trending video in India.
Hirani decided to make this film after hearing about many of his life's anecdotes from Dutt himself and then meeting journalists, relatives, friends, and police personnel. He made it clear to Dutt that he would not change any lines or scenes in the film and Dutt agreed to this.
"Itna variety wala life aapko kidhar milega?" asks Sanju in the film. The film does seem as though it’s going to be an honest look at a tumultuous life rather than glorifying someone or attempting to explain away misdeeds; alleged and otherwise. Fans of Dutt will hope that the film exonerates their idol to a significant extent. Fans of Kapoor will hope that the film ends the drought of hits the actor has experienced over the past few years.
Perhaps this film is about Sanjay Dutt telling the world that he is guilty of everything but isn’t a terrorist. Perhaps this is just a film about an extraordinary life that has seen more ups and downs than a snake ‘n’ ladders game. In any case, this is a story the world wants to hear. In my view, and good cinema always has a solid, good story at its heart.
I always watch a Raju Hirani film! So do a lot of other people. It isn’t for nothing that the man is has won so many awards and is such a critical and commercial success.
Sanju and PK, are both Rajkumar Hirani films, so perhaps it is inevitable that some cinematic tropes will find expression more than once. However PK was a fantasy comedy film that was a satirical comment on organised religion in India whereas Sanju is a biographical film. Comparing the two would be like comparing apples and pears; albeit both organically grown by Hirani.
This Salman Khan starrer Race 3 releases on 15 June while Sanju will release on 29 June 2018. That two big films – albeit very different in style, content and genre to look forward to this summer.
Considering the fact that one of the important aspects of Sanju is the father-son relationship between Dutt and his father Sunil Dutt (played by Presh Rawal), this is perhaps relevant too. Rishi Kapoor is clearly moved by his son Ranbir’s performance and couldn’t be prouder – with good reason!
Dutt deserves credit for choosing to share his chequered life, Hirani for telling the story and Ranbir for faithfully essaying the role – plus everyone else who did their part in creating the film. Come 29th June, I am simply looking forward to watching an interesting story and a well made film that treats its audience with some respect.
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