Over the last few years, we have seen more and more filmmakers opting for the biopic route. A big factor for this, is the fact that the audience are always interested in knowing more about someone they admire. Be it the olympic athlete Milkha Singh or India’s most successful captain M.S Dhoni, we are always eager to know more about the lives of these legends and what went into making them who they are today. And the box-office collections of these biopics provide more than enough proof of the audience’s interest. 
While we have many biopics in the pipeline, one that excites us the most is Sanju. Sanju is without a doubt the most awaited biopic of the year. What separates Sanju from the rest is that it is based on the life Sanjay Dutt. Mostly, the biopics that we have seen are about sports persons who have gone on to achieve the impossible or people who have made unbelievable sacrifices for the greater good. But, it is the first time we will see a biopic about a person who we have seen so much of and is still, very much in the business. Another interesting part about Sanju is that the makers have time and again been extremely specific about the fact that Sanju in no way tries to glorify the actor. We all know that Sanjay Dutt has gone through many ups and downs in his life. The filmmakers have insisted that they have showcased his life on the big screen as it was, they have not attempted to make him look like a hero or a bad guy. 

With the release of Sanju less than a month away, we take undertake a detailed study of the film right from the point it was conceptualized.

Even though Rajkumar Hirani has worked on quite a few films with Sanjay Dutt, including Munna Bhai M.B.B.S, Lage Raho Munna Bhai and P.K, he never was interested in making a biopic on him. But, his interactions with Sanjay Dutt when he was out on parole made him think that even the most creative writers won’t be able to come up with such a story and he knew he had to make a film on it. During an interview with a leading daily at the time of P.K’s release, Rajkumar Hirani revealed the same. He said, “However, much earlier when I was penning PK, Sanjay was out on parole and I happened to meet him. He just started talking about his life. He was lonely. Maanayata (I think) was in hospital and he used to go there (sometimes) and then come home to an empty house. So, he was just venting, speaking straight from the heart. And, he started giving me anecdotes that were just gems for a filmmaker... ki aisi film toh hum soch hi nahin sakte, likh hi nahin sakte... Even though I had worked with him, I wasn’t close friends with him, like, say, other filmmakers such as Sanjay Gupta, Mahesh Manjrekar and others were. I knew Sanju, but there was always a distance. He had never opened up like he did on that occasion. I had gone at 5 pm, stayed with him till 3 am and then came back home.
The next day, when I was editing, he called me and asked me to come over. I think he wanted to talk. After that, I called Abhijat (writer Abhijat Joshi) and told him I’m hearing these crazy anecdotes, which even if I want to write, I don’t know how to go about it.

The following day, I took Abhijat along. For over 25 days, we sat for a crazy amount of time and recorded everything. We didn’t know if there was a film because most of the things he recounted were anecdotal. I had no idea how to string them together. But what we did feel was that here was a man who had led such a crazy life in every way. He was coping with the loss of his mother, he had been to rehab for drug addiction, then he went to jail (sighs). Besides what he told me, I also met others who knew him — journalists, cops, relatives and friends. I felt there was a movie that should be told. The first thought that came to me was we will say it like it is. I told Sanju that we won’t glorify him and he was okay with it. He was like, jo bhi hai, banao.. He had talked about drugs, women, the gun, almost everything that happened. For a filmmaker, it’s like a goldmine.”

In the same interview, Rajkumar Hirani also revealed how they finalised on Sanju as the title for the biopic. He said, “Actually, we thought of many titles. One of them was Aisa Hi Hoon. Anything you attach with a name in a biopic is like an adjective. Even if you say Aisa Hi Hoon or Sarphira, either you are glorifying him or attacking him. One thing all of us were clear about was that we wanted a neutral title. Dutt seemed a little harsh. Then I heard a gem from him. Apparently, Nargisji used to call him ‘Sanju’ with a lot of affection. We thought this is the most non-committal and neutral title, with no preconceived notions.”

Another important part for Rajkumar Hirani was making sure to get the casting of the film absolutely spot on. Since the biopic is about Sanjay Dutt, most of the people are aware of how he was a person, his mannerisms, his body language and his style of talking etc. Not only Sanjay Dutt, the film also shows his father Sunil Dutt, his mother Nargis and many more people who had a big influence on his life. So, if the characters in the film are not convincing enough for the audience, he may risk losing their interest. 

Rajkumar Hirani’s choice of Ranbir Kapoor for playing the character of Sanjay Dutt certainly raised eyebrows. Although there are no doubts about Ranbir Kapoor’s acting skills, people were still surprised with Hirani’s choice since until now Ranbir hasn’t been seen in such a role. But if a director like Rajkumar Hirani believes that an actor can do the job, it means he definitely sees something in him by which he was convinced. And now with the trailer of the biopic being out, we couldn’t agree more with Rajkumar Hirani’s choice. In the three minutes of the trailer, Ranbir has brilliantly portrayed the life of Sanjay Dutt with all shades available on the colour palette of emotion. The trailer starts off with the younger days of Sanjay Dutt, during which, he explains how he ended up getting addicted to drugs. The trailer also talks about his affairs and also makes a reference to an alleged connection with the underworld and the media speculation surrounding it. 
This also proves the point of the makers that they are not holding back on anything with this biopic, they aren’t shying away from sharing bold details about his much talked about controversial life, ranging from his drug addiction to multiple link-ups.

Ranbir Kapoor also said during an interview with a leading daily, that they are portraying a fraud man in the biopic. He said, “With the Sanjay Dutt biopic, he has been so honest about his life. We are not portraying a Gandhi like charater. We're portraying a very fraud man. He's someone who is love and disliked. He's the most controversial, and to have the ability to tell about your life so honestly, and to make a movie out of it is very brave.” 

He also mentioned that he admires Sanjay Dutt’s courage to come forward and share his life with everybody, He said, “If I was in his position, I don't think I could be this honest about my life and make myself look like a person who is not nice. If an audience can take something from that and learn from his life.I think it's a very positive thing."

During an interview with a leading daily, Rajkumar Hirani was asked what convinced him that Ranbir is the right choice to play the part. He said, “The first reason for choosing him is that he’s a fantastic actor. And the second reason is that he is at the perfect age. I needed an actor who could be 21 (years old) because that is where the film begins. That was the age when Sanju was shooting for Rocky and his drug phase started. And then we have Sanju when he came out of prison (around 56 years). So, we needed someone who could fit that transformation. I had a basic draft of this biopic when I sent Ranbir a message, ‘I’ve a script, let’s meet up when you’re free.’ Ranbir is usually aware of everything that is happening in the industry. He is very sharp. I’m guessing he already knew that I was planning a biopic on Sanjay. When I sent him the message, Ranbir promptly replied, ‘I hope it’s not the Sanjay Dutt biopic.’ And I thought, ‘Oh God, maybe he has heard and he may not want to do it.’ I told him it’s the same script, but let’s meet. When I met him, I realised he knew a lot about Sanju. He had spent time with him and knew him well. He used to work out at his gym and had probably heard the stories. But when he saw the angle of the story, he was like, ‘It’s interesting, let’s do it.’”

After being casted in the film, it was time for Ranbir to prepare himself for portraying a character like Sanjay Dutt on screen. Rajkumar Hirani further revealed what went into recreating Ranbir Kapoor as Sanjay Dutt on screen. He said, “Physically, they’re not similar. Sanju is bigger, but Ranbir is slightly taller than him. He doesn’t seem so, but it is true. Ranbir worked very hard to get the physicality right. He spent days watching tons of videos to strike the right balance and when you observe him in the film, you will notice that there is a resemblance of Sanjay Dutt, yet you know it is Ranbir Kapoor. If he did anything slightly more, it would look caricaturish and if he did a little less, it wouldn’t work. I didn’t think about anyone else. I first thought of Ranbir and went straight to him and I can tell you, we were right.”

Besides Ranbir Kapoor as Sanjay Dutt, Dia Mirza will be seen playing the role of his wife Manyaata Dutt. Paresh Rawal will be stepping into the shoes of the late Sunil Dutt and Manisha Koirala will essay the role of his mother Nargis in the film. Jim Sarbh will be playing the role of Salman Khan and Vicky Kaushal is said to be playing the role of the actors close friend, Kumar Gaurav. Although, the makers insist that Vicky Kaushal’s is not only playing Kumar Gaurav but his role is an amalgamation of his few close friends. Sonam Kapoor, who made her Bollywood debut with Ranbir Kapoor back in 2017, will represent his many love interests through her role. Anushka Sharma too will be seen playing a cameo in the film. When a leading daily asked Rajkummar Hirani what was her role in the film, he said, “To showcase a biopic like this, you have to compress few parts into one. Similarly, Anushka Sharma’s character is derived from myself and Abhijat. She is playing a biographer from London, and she comes to India. Sanjay wants her to write a book on him whereas she doesn’t want to.
“We were also skeptical at first whether we should do this character or not. So basically she is us, but not as a filmmaker… (as) a biographer.”

But, we were obviously curious to know how did Sanjay Dutt react to the trailer of the film. So, when Rajkumar Hirani was asked about the actors reaction during am interview with a leading daily, he said, “Yes, I have shown it as well as some scenes to him. He gets overwhelmed. In fact, I told him to see the full film, but he said no, he would watch it when it’s complete. He came to the sets only twice. I think he is pretty brave. He has talked about everything in his life. I don’t think everyone will have that courage.”

Sanju will be hitting the theatres on 29th June 2018. If the trailer is anything to go by, the movie promises to be one big roller coaster ride! Just a three minute glimpse into the film has already got fans waiting for the film with bated breaths! 29th June couldn’t come any sooner! More on: Ranbir Kapoor, Sanjay Dutt, Rajkumar Hirani, Sanju

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