Critic's Rating: 4/5

Sanju Story: Sanju explores the two big stories of movie star Sanjay Dutt’s dramatic and controversial life. Sanju (Ranbir Kapoor) recalls two crucial chapters from his own life as writer Winnie (Anushka Sharma) prepares to write his biography. He gives a lowdown on his tryst with drugs and then his experiences in the Arms Case and the 1993 Mumbai blasts.

Sanju Review: One man, many lives is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Sanjay Dutt. Rajkumar Hirani’s film presents a vivid and very dramatic look in this biopic of sorts. The film starts off with Sanjay Dutt (Ranbir Kapoor) 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. A film writer fails him miserably so Sanju turns to a more established writer Winnie (Anushka Sharma) for help. His confessions and recollections to Winnie are intimate and give us deep insights of the highs and lows of his life which is nothing short of a roller coaster ride. 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. In fact, Sanjay’s relationship with his father Sunil Dutt (Paresh Rawal) forms the major part of this story and some of the most heart wrenching and touching moments in the film belong to both of them.

Manisha Koirala as Nargis Dutt, Sanju’s mother has a brief role, but the scenes between the father mother and son are incredibly moving.

There’s also his best friend Kamlesh (Vicky Kaushal) who’s one of the most important character in Sanju’s story. And also its one that leaves a positive impact. Sadly, the film doesn’t touch upon Dutt’s personal life in the same detail. Maanyata (Dia Mirza) his wife’s strong presence is felt right through the film, but his earlier marriages and even the birth of his first child, daughter Trishala has been completely left out. The absence of these aspects does feel a bit odd.

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.That works out well in the movie, and really helps create some great drama as the story of an ernest father and his reckless son plays out simultaneously.

Ranbir Kapoor is just as good as his reputation. To state that he’s an incredible actor who fills Sanjay Dutt’s role with gravitas and spunk is stating the obvious. That’s expected from a talented actor like Ranbir. But what he does best in Sanju, is that he delivers the central character’s swag and nonchalance in the most effortless manner. Whether he’s dancing like a hysterical man under the influence of drugs or he’s the broken, emotional wreck just staring blank, Ranbir portrays a variety of emotions and grey shades with flair. He’s the heart and soul of this film. Vicky Kaushal impresses with his funny and dramatic character as much as the leading man.

AR Rahman, Rohan-Rohan and Vikram Montrose’s music manages to create the period feel and set the right mood too. Songs like Kar Har Maidan Fateh and Ruby Ruby create the perfect atmosphere. The background score is top notch too. The drugs infused phase of Sanju’s life is the most impressive. It has some fantastic visuals and some crazy emotions too.

Like all of Rajkumar Hirani’s films, Sanju is detailed, well-written and has plenty of memorable moments. The father-son saga, the many references to old Hindi film music and lyricists is fantastic. With Sanjay Dutt’s biopic, Hirani has been able to put his personal friendship aside and present an engaging story with the kind of finesse it needs. The film has a critique that establishes Sanjay Dutt as the king of bad choices. Sanju is definitely one of the year’s best films, but it could have been so.much more. Even with what’s missing, this is still an incredible story of an actor, a hero but most importantly a son who made many mistakes and lived one heck of a life.