Sanju Movie Review: Ranbir Kapoor Kills It As ‘Sanju Baba’

Years before Bollywood superstar Salman Khan became infamous following his legal tussles, Sanjay Dutt was the unofficial ‘Bad Boy’ of Bollywood and naturally, it was expected that a film based on his life would be an explosive tale. Hence, when Rajkumar Hirani decided to team up with Ranbir Kapoor for Sanju, I was quite curious to see what these two bring to the table and believe me, I wasn’t disappointed.The film starts off with Sanjay (Ranbir) getting ready to surrender to the police for his alleged involvement in the 1993 bomb blasts and persuading author Winnie (Anushka Sharma with a ridiculous wig) to present his side of the story in a book. The film then takes the viewer on a journey through Sanjay’s life- from his days as a drug addict to his struggles with rehab to his role in the bomb blasts case to his final redemption, his relationship with his parents Sunil Dutt and Nargis (Paresh Rawal and Manisha Koirala) and friend Kamli (Vicky Kaushal) forming the backdrop.At the outset, let me state that Ranbir Kapoor’s performance is a slap on the faces of all his detractors. The Rockstar has simply nailed the role and will impress one and all. As Sanjay, Ranbir is bratty yet vulnerable and cocky yet tender-hearted. Ranbir has given his heart and soul to the role and it is obvious in the way he has portrayed Sanjay Dutt, right from his swagger to the way he tilts his head in the middle of saying something. But mimicking the body language is not just enough and Ranbir successfully projects Sanjay’s helplessness and his vulnerability through his eyes.Apart from Ranbir, the film stars many other actors, but noteworthy amongst them is Paresh Rawal as Sunil Dutt, Manisha Koirala as Nargis Dutt and Vicky Kaushal as his loyal friend Kamli. Kaushal, who recently impressed us with his role in Raazi, is so good that at times, he tends to overpower Ranbir in some scenes. Sonam Kapoor, Jim Sarbh, Boman Irani and Dia Mirza are decent enough.As for the film itself, Hirani proves once again that when it comes to story-telling, he has no equal. A few may complain that the film only focuses on his drug abuse, his role in the blasts and his relationship with his friend and father, but in Hirani’s defence, there is a limit to what can be shown in a span of two hours. Hirani has intelligently ignored his multiple affairs (maybe to avoid offending his former girlfriends) and has focused on the few dark phases of his life quite effectively. I am sure it is quite difficult to make a biopic on a living person and Hirani deserves due credit for making the film entertaining, intriguing and touching at the same time.Sanju will make you laugh and will also bring a lump to your throat and I bet that Ranbir Kapoor will walk away with all the possible awards this year. This weekend, do yourself a favour and go watch Sanju.