Sanju Review - One Man Whose Reputation Survives!

Sanju is an exercise in absurdity, but it rarely takes too many risks. That is perhaps why director Rajkumar Hirani’s most daring film ends up being his weakest. The film, portraying the tumultuous life of controversial actor Sanjay Dutt, details everything from the actor’s infamous drug addiction to his heavily publicised bouts with the law. Ranbir Kapoor gets this unforgiving role. He plays this unlikable and quite frankly, chauvinistic public figure with effortlessness. His performance is so staggering, especially in the film’s first half, that everybody else around him seems inconsequential.

The other actor that makes an impact (perhaps an even bigger impact than Ranbir himself) is Paresh Rawal, playing the loving and precious Sunil Dutt. Their scenes together, especially in the end of the first half and throughout the second half, are simply heartbreaking. Paresh has that special ability to be stoic in the most emotional of scenes, while quietly breaking on the inside. It’s a surprisingly calm and composed performance that Paresh, with his forbearing nature, pulls off with ease.

But Sanju doesn’t mainly shine because of these two leads - not even the titular character. It shines because its supporting cast, played by a fantastic Vicky Kaushal, Manisha Koirala and Sonam Kapoor imbue both the film and their characters with the right amount of charm and foolishness - they’re so helplessly drawn to this bomb of a man, who may explode at any given time, that they can’t stay away from him. Especially heartbreaking is Manisha Koirala as the fun-loving Nargis, who only appears briefly, but touches hearts in her cameo.

The thing that hampers the fluidity of the narrative is writer Abhijat Joshi’s story - especially in the second half. After a point, it gets repetitive and Abhijat, doesn’t show any of that talent he did in films like PK and 3 Idiots, where he could get a laugh out of even the most sombre of scenes. In its second half, the film doesn’t have a distinctive direction and the film falters. But, even through this, you will forgive the writers and the director because Ranbir powers through.

His performance is at once endearing, heartbreaking and beyond any criticism. He is pitch perfect as this polarising figure. He instils within Sanju the right amount of faults, the right amount of superiority and the right amount of vulnerability. His performance, unlike the film he inhabits, pops very often and leaves the viewers with a gnawing feeling in the stomach and a smile on their face. His charisma is in good use, during the film’s shining first half - which deals with his addiction to drugs.

Ranbir’s interactions with other actors - Sonam and Vicky to name a few - light up the film. They effervescently play off of each other and their chemistry and energy is in good supply. Vicky is especially terrific as Kamli, Sanju’s Gujurati friend. His charm and his smile light up the film’s darker scenes and a scene where he breaks down in a car with Anushka Sharma is inspiring. Sonam, too, gives an energising performance. Her ‘Ruby’ is a charming and endearing young girl, who is spectacular, especially in the infamous mangal sutra scene.

But, Anusha Sharma and Jim Sarbh, playing a biographer and a drug dealer, just don’t add much to the film. Anushka is a fantastic actor, but her erratic, on-off British/American accent sporting writer postures too much to affix anything to the narrative. Jim as a devious drug dealer is also rather unconvincing. His character comes off a tad bit creepy and the exasperated way he growls at Anushka over the phone is tiresome and monotonous.

Rajkumar Hirani is a household name - having delivered stunning masterpieces that take a look at rather ordinary scenarios until he injects them with his adrenaline-filled ‘magic touch’. Munna Bhai MBBS (which gets its own ten minutes to shine in this film), Lage Raho Munna Bhai, 3 Idiots and PK were all absolutely absurd, ludicrous yet ingenious pieces that delivered their own fun and some messages. Here, he delivers his most frail film to date. That's largely due to the fact that the film takes Dutt's side in most of his run ins with the law - always showing him as the one who was wronged and not as the one who wrongerd. That's why Sanju’s narrative just doesn’t hold together for it to sparkle like his earlier works.

But, the actors do. Each of them, from the Gujju Kaushal to the smart-ass Ranbir, are fantastic, portraying these helpless folks with wit and flair. Sanju shines when they do. Perhaps, it is fitting that this problematic yet engulfing piece of work is just like the figure it tells the story of - bumpy, incomplete yet fascinating. I’m going with 3 stars for Sanju and another half star for Ranbir Kapoor, Paresh Rawal, Sonam Kapoor, Vicky Kaushal and Manisha Koirala. I’m giving Sanju 3.5 stars. It’s just as polarising as the figure whose story it tells.