Sanju Movie Review : An Interesting and Misunderstood Story

Like all of Rajkumar Hirani’s films, Sanju is detailed, well-written.

Acting - 9 , Direction - 8 , Music - 7 , Dialougues - 9 (rating out of 10)

Paresh Rawal plays the role of a helpless father torn between love for his son and his moral code.

Vicky Kaushal and Ranbir Kapoor's bromance is one of the highlights of Sanju. Vicky Kaushal steals the show with his realistic acting.

Manisha Koirala wins heart everytime she comes on screen... the relationship between Nargis Dutt and Sanjay Dutt is heart melting.

Anushka Sharma plays a London-based writer Vinnie Roy. She tried on a new look for the film, but she could've avoided the wig and her blue eyes.

Sonam Kapoor looks appealing however fails to reflect emotions required for the role.

Jim Sarbh plays the role of a friend , who is not what he looks like.

As Ranbir had said , in this film, you see him suffer. You see what drugs can do to you or what keeping unlicensed guns can result in. You see the price he had to pay for being irresponsible towards his life and his relationships. There is a lot to learn from Sanjay Dutt’s mistakes. It just shows an unknown aspect of him, his vulnerabilities.

Ranbir Kapoor is a sensational actor. Literally acting from every pour of his being.

The first thing you notice about Ranbir Kapoor in Sanju is his uncanny similarity to Sanjay Dutt, or that he's a fantastic actor with the ability to morph into his subject like a chameleon. There's absolutely nothing in Ranbir's portrayal to complain about.

Ranbir Kapoor acts like Sanjay Dutt, who is an actor by profession; imagine the Inception-level of preparation Ranbir would have had to undergo.

Ranbir looks naive and veritable as young Sanjay Dutt. He has managed to adopt Sanjay Dutt's mannerism , his gait and his looks with finesse. His facial expressions are so good. Very easily he shows two different expressions at once , arrogance of being a star and of being scared to death!

The movie begins with Dutt wanting a writer for his biography even while he’s preparing to surrender himself to the Supreme Court’s judgement in the Arms Act case.

There's an emotional message in every potential scene; the film doesn't attempt to decode Sanjay Dutt or justify his life. Neither does it try to whitewash his flaws. Credits to Hirani for not painting Dutt with larger than life strokes. But there is a Bollywood-ish tinge to every scene.

The agenda of Sanju is clear: to present an interesting and misunderstood story. To tell audiences that there are two sides to everything.

Story goes back and forth unveiling one chapter after another of Sanjay Dutt's life.

Also Read: A 23 Year Old Journey Which Changed Sanjay Dutt's Life Forever

His character and traits became a talking point in the media even before the release of his first film Rocky in 1981.

He doesn’t behave like a Bollywood star and seems really low on confidence in his youth.

The first half is extremely gripping and the second half is spent on elaborating on his court cases and the stress on the fact that he’s not a terrorist.

The drugs infused phase of Sanju’s life is the most impressive. It has some fantastic visuals and over the top ones too.

The mangalsutra scene of Ranbir Kapoor and Sonam Kapoor gives us Anurag Kashyap film feels.

After the interval, films opens with Babri Masjid demolition scene.

Glimpses into the film industry and the underworld are minimal. Only a fleeting reference of a local gangster has been made, that too with a lot of caution.

Like any Rajkumar Hirani film, Sanju blends humour with drama effortlessly. While it doesn’t reveal much about Sanju’s relationships and marriages, it does tell a strong story of an unbreakable bond between a father son and a best friend.

You know the film is a masterpiece when one scene can make you laugh and cry both. You will love each character , you will hate Jim Sarbh , laugh with Boman Irani , feel Ranbir Kapoors pain and suffering. You come out of the theatre feeling a lot of emotions at once.

Also Read: Best Roles Of Sanjay Dutt Most Of Us Loved Till Date

Is Sanju going to be the highlight movie for the Hollywood film industry?

Watch our video review of the movie Sanju here: