In Sanju, Hirani deploys all his skills to mount a defence of Dutt, but without acknowledging the culture of nepotism and entitlement that enabled Dutt’s frequent journeys beyond the boundaries of the law. Hirani’s talent for emotional manipulation made viewers reflect on the need for empathy and humanity in modern medicine ( Munnabhai M.B.B.S., 2003), the relevance of Gandhian thought ( Lage Raho Munnabhai), the problems with rote learning ( 3 Idiots, 2009) and the fakery of self-apointed godmen ( PK, 2014). Hirani’s films are known for their folksy and unsubtle humour, their commonsensical approach to life’s complexities, and melodrama (a recurring shot in his films is of characters wiping the tears from their faces). Kuch To Log Kahenge, written by Anand Bakshi for Amar Prem (1972), becomes the anthem for Sanjay Dutt’s redemption. The director even deploys the lyrics of classic Hindi film in his rescue mission.
He might not have been a terrorist, but what guided Sanjay Dutt’s decision to associate with gangsters and buy deadly weapons from them? The movie is unwilling to undertake a psychological exploration of its hero’s tendency to make bad choices, and Hirani does not give viewers enough room to decide for themselves. “I am not a terrorist,” Dutt declares, and the movie devotes a chunk of its running time towards supporting his belief. Eager to hang Dutt before a fair trial, newspapers churn out false reports that link Dutt and his father, the eminent actor, producer and Congress politician Sunil Dutt (Paresh Rawal), to the terrorist conspiracy that resulted in the bomb blasts in Mumbai in March 1993. Spooked by threats of death and rape levelled at his family members, Dutt buys AK-56 assault rifles from members of Dawood Ibrahim’s gang, for which he is arrested and convicted.īut the biggest villain is journalism. The second villain is the destruction of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya on December 6, 1992, which led to communal riots across India that were especially serious in Mumbai. His early substance abuse, which costs him his relationship with Ruby (Sonam Kapoor) and the momentum built by his debut film Rocky in 1981, is blamed on a crooked drug dealer (Jim Sarbh).
The cocktail of gobsmacked fascination and rampaging admiration rarely thins, even when Dutt is at the peak of self-damage. Winnie’s blue contact lenses widen in a mix of incredulity and glee that causes the corners of her lips to meet her earlobes. At least 350, he says, and don’t include the prostitutes. Dutt, in the presence of his third wife Manyata (Dia Mirza), is telling Winnie about the number of women he has bedded. By the end of 162 minutes, neither will you.ĭespite this, the appointed writer gives away the biggest clue to the biopic’s attitude to its subject. He rejects the book and seeks another writer to document his tumultuous life. The screenplay, by Hirani and Abhijat Joshi, opens with a writer presenting an obsequious biography of Sanjay Dutt (Ranbir Kapoor) that compares the actor to Mahatma Gandhi, an in-joke about Hirani’s 2006 film Lage Raho Munnabhai, in which Dutt’s gangster Munna gets visions of and is transformed by Mahatma Gandhi’s ghost. Until a point, it appears to be on track to creating a nuanced portrait of controversy’s favourite child – but then it plummets into unquestioning and misty-eyed reverence. It promises complexity and psychological acuity. Sanju is the fawning biopic of Sanjay Dutt that the trailer warned us about. It isn’t clear whether the director is also referring to the sections that whitewash the Hindi movie star and entirely shift the blame for his transgressions to external factors. The opening credits for Rajkumar Hirani’s Sanjay Dutt biopic Sanju advise viewer discretion, since some scenes are likely to be distressing. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal tests positive for coronavirus.Under 19 Men’s World Cup: From Lara in 1988 to Kohli in 2008, a look back at cricket’s stars.What the Age of Akshay tells us about Bollywood.Meet the 25-year-old law student who took on hate speech makers in Haridwar.Like Japan and Singapore, why doesn’t India burn plastic waste to produce energy?.‘Omicron is just a common viral fever,’ claims Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Adityanath.
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