Sanju, a biopic on controversial star Sanjay Dutt, suffers from a skewed viewpoint.
The film begins by comparing Dutt with Mahatama Gandhi and ends with the actor doing ‘gandhigiri’ inside Yerawada jail. In between, the so-called biopic blames everybody but the actor himself for all the wrongs that have happened in his life.
There are spoilers ahead, so proceed at your own will.
Some of claims made in the film are hilarious. For example, he is forced into drugs by a man called Zubin Mistry, played by Jim Sarbh. At one point, the film says that Mistry himself used glucose powder while giving hardcore drugs to Dutt.
In the same way, the actor boasts displays his womanising skills by sleeping with his best friend’s girlfriend. The reason he gives is outrageous: It was all to check the woman’s loyalty to his friend.
Then comes the AK56 chapter, which is not probed well in the film. Surprisingly, the film tries to portray this whole episode as an innocent bid by Dutt to save his family. Just remember – we are talking about banned and highly sophisticated weapons here. Getting them was never easy.
Hirani reveals his actual plan much later in the film. He portrays the “sensationalist media” as the real culprit for whatever happened to Dutt, as if it was the media and not our wayward hero who made the mistakes.
In today’s scenario, blaming the media is just convenient.
The media may be sensationalist, sure, but it cannot be held responsible for your misdeeds. Mistakes you made may be covered, but it also gives you the opportunity to be heard. It works both ways.
But this tactic doesn’t work because Hirani’s selective filmmaking and rage is really easy to call out. He has structured the film in such a way that the only option left for the audience is to cheer for the protagonist. Even the smallest attempt to cast Sanju under an objective light is absent.