In 2018, Rajkumar Hirani released the biographical movie Sanju. Hirani and Abhijat Joshi wrote the screenplay. Together, Hirani and Vidhu Vinod Chopra produced it under the respective production companies Rajkumar Hirani Films and Vinod Chopra Films. The movie stars Ranbir Kapoor as Indian actor Sanjay Dutt, and it chronicles Dutt’s life at various points. Paresh Rawal, Vicky Kaushal, Manisha Koirala, Dia Mirza, Sonam Kapoor, Anushka Sharma, and Jim Sarbh all have significant roles in the movie, which also has an ensemble cast.

In a conversation with Hirani, Dutt related personal anecdotes that the latter found fascinating and inspired him to create a movie based on Dutt’s life. The film was given the nickname Sanju by Dutt’s mother Nargis. Principal photography started in January 2017 and was finished in January 2018. A was used by Rohan-Rohan and Vikram Montrose to create the soundtrack for the movie. R. Rahman will be the guest composer. The movie’s rights to distribution were purchased by Fox Star Studios.

On June 29, 2018, Sanju was made available worldwide. Critics gave it largely favorable reviews, praising Kapoor’s portrayal of Dutt but expressing mixed opinions about the other cast members’ performances and the film’s accuracy. The movie had the biggest opening weekend of any movie released in India in 2018.

Plot

By contrasting Sanjay Dutt with Mahatma Gandhi, biographer D. Triparthi tries to write a biography of the actor. He is kicked out by a furious Dutt. In its ruling on the 1993 Bombay bombings, the court imprisons Dutt for violating the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities Act. Manyata Dutt approaches London-based author Winnie Diaz about penning his biography so that the general public can learn about his life. Despite her initial reluctance, drug lord Zubin Mistry threatens Winnie into not writing the biography, which instead intrigues her and forces her to do so. Dutt’s early years are revealed in a flashback after Winnie interviews him for the first time.

Sanjay is the son of Sunil Dutt and Nargis, and his father intends for him to launch his acting career in Bollywood with the movie Rocky. Sanjay is prompted to try drugs for the first time by his friend Mistry after being disappointed by his father’s choice. Sanjay learns that his mother Nargis has cancer and arranges to have her treated in New York. This starts his descent into alcoholism and drug addiction. Sanjay meets Kamlesh Kapasi in New York, and the two quickly become friends. The breakup with his girlfriend Ruby is ultimately caused by his drug addiction. Three days before Rocky is released, Nargis passes away. Sanjay consents to enroll in an American rehab facility and subsequently makes a full recovery.

His friend Kamlesh tells the story of the latter part of Dutt’s life. Muhammad Ali has been compared to Sanjay because of his muscular physique in the 1990s. He purchases three AK-56 rifles to defend his father and sister Priya Dutt following the destruction of the Babri Masjid. Shortly after, a number of bombings take place in Bombay. Sanjay is detained in 1993 on suspicion of having illegal weapons, and he is later found guilty and given a 5-year prison term. then after completing it, is released in February 2016.

Cast

Ranbir Kapoor as Sanjay “Sanju” Dutt

Paresh Rawal as Sunil Dutt, Sanju’s father

Vicky Kaushal as Kamlesh “Kamli” Kanhaiyalal Kapasi

Manisha Koirala as Nargis, Sanju’s mother

Dia Mirza as Manyata Dutt, Sanju’s wife

Sonam Kapoor as Ruby

Anushka Sharma as Winnie Diaz, a biographer

Jim Sarbh as Zubin Mistry

Karishma Tanna as Pinky

Boman Irani as Ruby’s father

Sayaji Shinde as Bandu Dada

Aditi Gautam as Priya Dutt, Sanju’s sister

Ashwin Mushran as an event manager

Anjan Srivastav as a minister

Prakash Belawadi as a newspaper editor

Mahesh Manjrekar as himself

Tabu as herself

Arshad Warsi as himself

Sanjay Dutt as himself

Development

Director Rajkumar Hirani was first prompted to create a film based on Sanjay Dutt’s life by the latter’s wife Manyata Dutt in a casual conversation, an offer he refused, reasoning that “Sanju’s world is very different from my world”.] In an interview with Daily News & Analysis, Hirani revealed what eventually prompted him to create a film based on Sanjay Dutt’s life: “He used to visit Manyata in the hospital and return home to an empty house, which made him lonely. So he was just venting, speaking honestly. And, he started giving me anecdotes that were just gems for a filmmaker”. In regards to gaining resources in constructing the film, Hirani said, “… we sat for a crazy amount of time and recorded everything… Journalists, police, family members, and friends were among the other people I met who knew him. I believed that a movie needed to be made.” Hirani acknowledged that the movie’s title, Sanju, was chosen after much thought because Sanjay’s mother, Nargis, used to refer to him as “Sanju” in an interview with DNA After Hrs.

When Hirani first approached him to produce the movie, producer Vidhu Vinod Chopra was not involved in the project. At first, Chopra was of the opinion that “it was hogwash… but when we started researching all that he’s said – from the 308 girlfriends he had to how he begged on the streets of We discovered that everything he had told us was accurate when we asked the U.S. for money to purchase a bus ticket.”. Hirani had a pre-condition with Dutt that if the latter requested to change any lines or scenes, he “would not make it”, upon which Dutt agreed to let Hirani direct the movie. He was fine with Hirani not exalting him in the movie. Hirani showed aspects of Dutt’s life that the public would not have known, such as “what was happening in the Dutt home at the time Sanju was charged with the crime? What struggles was his father facing? What had become of his sisters? What were the reactions of his friends? Later, I got to know his sisters Namrata and Priya, his brother-in-law Kumar Gaurav, and his friend Paresh Ghelani, who lives in the US.” Hirani stated, “His romance is not the focus of the movie. It mainly consists of two tracks: one tells the tale of how he battled drugs and another tells the tale of how he battled guns.”

The biopic will teach the audience something, according to Kapoor, who discussed Dutt’s journey in an interview with Filmfare. He stated that “It will cover human shortcomings, an emotional father-son tale, his friendship with his best friend, and his relationships with women. It is funny, sad, and bittersweet, as well as being emotionally charged. From his errors, the young person can learn a lot.” He also confirmed that “it’s not a propaganda film” intending to glorify According to Dutt. Kapoor, gaining his own confidence to move forward with the project was the hardest part of playing the role. For him, Sanjay Dutt is “a flawed but a wonderful person… a pop icon” and that’s why it “was scary.”

In an interview with Rajeev Masand, Hirani disclosed that the story-telling procedure was “challenging as it’s not a story of an achiever” as most biopics are based on a heroic personality, yet Tragedies and losses associated with Dutt are well known. He noted that “you can’t really tamper” and that the main scripting challenge was fitting “a very anecdotal story in a structured format”. Writer Abhijat Joshi also revealed that there was no “deliberate” attempt to make A sympathetic character played by Dutt. Instead the team realised having listened to all the anecdotes conveyed by Dutt that it’s a “very engaging, incredibly fascinating” story based on a “conflicted person, a flawed person” who “deserved empathy”. Hirani then confirmed that he has “put out the truth” which includes “good things and bad things”. In another interview, Hirani also revealed that like his other films, Sanju would also deliver a social message: “there is the father-son story, a friendship and one is a question mark. You’ll have to watch the movie to get the last one. Hirani also revealed that he did initially get “attracted to all the anecdotes [that Dutt was conveying]” but soon “realized it was not enough – we had to be able to string it all together.” which led him to come to the conclusion that “people need to know is his gun story, because it is important. If there is no gun story, there is no biopic” which then in turn formed the “spine” of the film.

Casting

Hirani initially considered actor Ranbir Kapoor to portray Dutt’s role. Hirani stated, “I immediately thought of Ranbir and went to him, and I can tell you that we were correct.”. He also stated that he thought Kapoor is a fantastic actor and “at the perfect age.”[18] He further revealed the similarities and differences between Dutt and Kapoor stating that “they have lived the life of actors all through. Ranbir is not an outsider who came to be a hero in this field. It was somewhat simpler for me to imagine him as Sanju.” He also revealed that Ranbir Kapoor worked very hard to get the correct physicality, spending days watching videos “to strike the right balance” Kapoor was initially hesitant to play the part. However, he agreed once “he saw the angle of the story” and that the story “broke certain notions I had about him “. Kapoor also revealed that his initial “hesitation” about playing Dutt’s role was that he is “still so relevant today” and is a “superstar” who is “working in movies today… has lots to achieve and lots to do”. Chopra was also reluctant to produce the film with Kapoor in the lead role, as he believed Ranveer Singh would’ve been a better fit to Dutt’s part by having the “flamboyance, the emotional depth as well as the ability to change himself completely to play Sanjay Dutt.”. Chopra however, “had to kind of eat words” once shooting began and he witnessed abilities of Kapoor as Dutt. Kapoor responded to Chopra’s comments by stating that he was “very happy” to be a part of the film as it came at a time where “he was really in need of inspiration.” Like Kapoor, Koirala was also “scepital” about playing a mother to Kapoor due to the fear of being “typecast.”

Additionally, Aamir Khan was asked to play Sunil Dutt, Dutt’s father. Khan declined the role because he was already portraying a father at the time in Dangal. Khan had also stated that he wished to have played Dutt’s role instead as his “role is so wonderful that it won my heart… so don’t offer me any other role as I won’t be able to do it” The role was then passed onto actor Paresh Rawal who stated that his character is “human” and “doesn’t have a set mannerism, idiosyncrasy”.

Initial reports claimed that Anushka Sharma, an actress, had been asked to portray both a rumored journalist and one of Sanjay Dutt’s girlfriends. However, Sharma denied these claims by stating that “my character is the only fictional character in the film” and “is not based on any living person”. At the trailer launch, Hirani stated that Sharma plays a biographer from London who comes to India, and in turn plays a “mix” of himself and Abhijat Joshi.

Sonam Kapoor was originally said to be cast as Tina Munim, according to earlier reports. Kapoor, however refuted these rumours and stated that “My role in the film is minor but crucial. Not everyone is thinking this way. I’m not acting like an actress.” Though, Hirani confirmed that Kapoor is indeed playing the role of “a girlfriend”.

Speaking on his role, Vicky Kaushal revealed that his character is an “amalgamation of three or four other friends” of Dutt and is thus “fictionalized”. Whilst Karishma Tanna’s role is yet unknown, Tanna revealed that it had been intended by Hirani and the rest of the team to keep her role a surprise and that Hirani “made it clear to that role would create a lot of speculation” as it is “exactly what [they] had anticipated.”

Characters

Every phase of Ranbir Kapoor’s transformation into Dutt required a month off, which he requested and received. Speaking about it at the film’s teaser launch, he said that because Kapoor has a thinner build, it was challenging for him to look like the muscular Dutt. “… there was a lot of team effort behind this. We conducted a ton of screening tests and preparation the year prior… ” In regards to Kapoor’s transformation, father Rishi Kapoor revealed that Ranbir “took 6-7 weeks to get each of his different looks” Ranbir Kapoor’s face and age were altered with prosthetics, according to prosthetics artist Dr. Suresh Murkey, in an interview. Mirza also opened up on Kapoor’s role stating that “he would be the first to reach the location because he would need five, six hours to do prosthetic make-up to play the older part.” She also spoke about the uncanny resemblance of Kapoor as Dutt as a consequence of prosthetics revealing that “people who went on the sets thought Ranbir was Sanju sir. Koirala also expressed that she was “shocked at Ranbir’s capacity to transform”. Hirani also revealed that Kapoor was “meeting Separately, Sanju possessed a complete timeline of her appearance in the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s… and made a whole collection of look videos.” Kapoor himself also stated that he “knew that there is a fine line between mimicry and representing someone who is loved by so many people” which is why “it took us six to eight months to get ready… to prep, do the prosthetic tests, acting and character rehearsals.” Kapoor further mentioned that whilst the physical transformation was significantly easier, emotional transformation and “being able to understand the emotional level of the character was really daunting.” He also mentioned that he “wanted to take a step back and didn’t want to be around him too much because I strove to avoid becoming fixated on him. I used to stare at him constantly, trying to figure out what he was doing, how he was scruffing his beard, and how he was speaking… but before any poignant moment in the script, for instance, the jail sequence, the drug sequence, his mother’s death, or when the I would always call him the night before the shoot when the TADA verdict Act came. I simply wanted to know how he was feeling, and he would graciously and honestly share that with me so that I could express it on camera. I wanted to represent him with respect” and a “true representation of what was going on in his head.” Hairstylist Aalim Hakim revealed that it took “22 days to finalise Ranbir’s different avatars” as it was a “challenge” to create the “receding hairline for Ranbir and give him a broad forehead”. Costumer designer Ekha Lakani, stated that in regards to Kapoor’s costume, she “discussed every look… spent hours trying to match every inch; how loose or how fitted it should be” by “matching different body types Sanjay Dutt has had a different body type all throughout his life”.

Manisha Koirala who essays the character of Nargis in the film spoke about her transformation as well stating that “we did a couple of tests, from when she had short hair to when she had long hair.” Koirala also revealed that she “did a lot of research on Nargisji” by studying “various photographs, books documentary”. She also admitted that it was “traumatic” reliving being a cancer patient as Koirala overcame ovarian cancer. She further mentioned that “it required a lot of inner strength… but was finally worth it as she tried to “capture essence, the core of her being”. Regarding Koirala’s costume, Lakhani stated that Nargis’ “iconic images” were taken and she then “recreated a look on that from every curl or twist in the hair to the way the body was or the makeup”.

Vicky Kaushal who’s “character’s name is Paresh and is “more like a brother” to Dutt revealed that he “went to Surat to study the body language and mannerism of Gujaratis” as his character, although originally from India has been living in America for the maximum time so “his With time, Gujarati should become less relevant.” He also revealed that he went through a “huge physical transformation” by losing weight to “look like a lean young Gujarati guy to an aged man of the present time”. He also stated that “losing and gaining weight change in the body language” which thus enabled him get the “right look” and thus “perform better”.

Paresh Rawal expressed that he prepared for his role by trying to “maintain a distance off camera” with Kapoor in order to “stay true to the character”. He further added that “we were not pals who would chat together in between the shots” which went on to embody the real life relationship between Dutt and his father as Sunil Dutt “loved his son to death but never had a friendly equation with “. Rawal also stated that he could not “look like Sunil Dutt” following the look tests but had to “portray the emotions, the ‘jazba’ that he had for the country, for his family and for his son”

Dia Mirza however, stated that she prepared to play the role of Dutt’s wife through “workshops and look tests” but also by studying some of the “news clips released around the time” as well as “her interviews” and “body language”. Mirza also stated that she “wanted to understand Maanayata as a wife, woman and mother handled the public scrutiny that she was subjected to”. She added that she mainly focussed on “understanding and being honest to the emotion more than anything else.” Mirza also revealed that she had to “dye hair jet black” and eventually saw herself as Manyata Dutt once she “placed that mole on my face and saw myself in the mirror” as she saw Maanayata in her “reflection.” Mirza, also revealed that Maanayata was a “rock” in Dutt’s life and with all “sincerity and honesty understand “what it meant to be a mother and a wife”

On Sonam Kapoor’s costume, Lakhani revealed that Kapoor’s costume was designed to look like “the girl next door, pretty, giving out very delicate vibes really soft fabrics, pastel hues, delicate embroidery. Kapoor’s costume was given “peter pan collars in all her outfits… to make her from that era” except that the team stayed away from making her look like a “fashion diva” but more “real”.

Speaking about Sharma’s character, Hirani mentioned in an interview that he wanted Sharma to look “like an Indian who stayed in London and brought up there” which then led her to wearing a wig with voluptuous curly hair in the film. Aditi Gautam, who plays Namrata Dutt revealed that she was casted as Hirani thought she looked “exactly like” Dutt. Seiya further mentioned that she prepared for her role by watching interviews that allowed her to gauge on Dutt’s “strong personality… poised and dignified.”

Principal photography

Ranbir Kapoor, Paresh Rawal, Dia Mirza, and other members of the cast and crew started filming the movie on January 12, 2017. The final day of filming was January 21, 2018. At the wrap party, the cast and crew were seen wearing personalised t-shirts with the hashtag “#duttstheway” in order to promote the film.

At first, it was intended to reunite Kapoor and Dutt at the film’s conclusion through a video chat in which Dutt would question Kapoor about his experience and journey. Due to the prior engagements of both actors, these plans were, however, shelved. The two actors will instead be seen working together in a spirited dance number during the closing credits. The movie was originally scheduled to last 2 hours and 25 minutes, according to Hirani. However, the running time was reduced with an entire song cut out of the film as it “was obstructing the pace of the film and it was breaking the narrative”. Hirnai further commented on this decision by stating that “if you feel it does not work then you have to let it go.”