Sanjay Dutt with Bal Thackeray and Sunil Dutt ( Express archive photo by Mohan Bane ) Sanjay Dutt with Bal Thackeray and Sunil Dutt ( Express archive photo by Mohan Bane ) In the early 1990s, following the demolition of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya, the ugly grip of communal hatred was felt across the country. Mumbai, the financial capital known for its cosmopolitan nature, was hardly insulated. In the afternoon of March 12, 1993, a series of 12 bomb explosions tore through the most iconic parts of Mumbai, leaving the Maximum City scarred forever. Soon, actor Sanjay Dutt, who was by then a popular face with many hits over the past decade, was named an accused in the case under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA) for accepting weapons from Abu Salem, who had been implicated in relation to the Mumbai blasts. This was just weeks before the launch of his blockbuster hit Khalnayak. For the next two decades, the case against Sanjay Dutt dragged on, with him being put behind bars on several occasions and for months on end. It was the period in the immediate aftermath of his arrest in 1993, however, that was most defining, both for him and his family. His acting career came to a complete halt for the next four years. In her book, “Mr and Mrs Dutt — Memories of our parents,” Dutt’s sister, Namrata Dutt, chronicled the painful times the family went through. The book quoted Dutt’s father, Sunil Dutt as having remarked soon after his arrest, “How can I sleep when I know my son is in the same city, a few miles away from me, lying on a cold stone floor?” Sunil Dutt with his son Sanjay Dutt. (Express archive photo by Vikas Khot) Sunil Dutt with his son Sanjay Dutt. (Express archive photo by Vikas Khot) By the 1990s, actor Sunil Dutt was a top Congress leader. At the time of the Bombay riots and the subsequent arrest of his son, Dutt faced stiff opposition from his party’s chief minister Sharad Pawar. When Sanjay Dutt was arrested, the frictions between Sunil Dutt and his party became more pronounced with the entire party distancing itself from him. Maharashtra at this point in time, was a stronghold of the Congress party that had ruled over it for decades since Independence. But the political colour of the state was experiencing a new flavour with the rise of Bal Thackeray’s Shiv Sena in collaboration with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the deep-rooted Hindutva ideology that they were propagating. It is noteworthy that the Sena, that was strongly protesting against the Bombay blasts, had been running a campaign in the party’s mouthpiece, Saamna, against Sanjay Dutt’s alleged criminal activities. However, a surprising turn of events occurred when Thackeray, at a party meeting in Shivaji Park announced that Dutt was innocent. Not only did it come as a surprise to the BJP, but is laos shocked members of his own party. Reportedly, in 1995 an alienated and helpless Sunil Dutt reached out to the then governing party leader Bal Thackeray for the sake of releasing his son. Later, in an interview to journalist Rajat Sharma in the television show Aap Ki Adalat, Sunil Dutt was asked why he chose to reach out to the Sena chief even though he had opposed him in the past. “At that time the Sena was in power and Bal Thackeray used to often say that the key to the government is in my hands. Naturally anyone will reach out to the person who has the key to the government.” said Dutt. “If my son has a political problem, I will take him to a politician,” he added. With the intervention of Bal Thackeray, Sanjay Dutt was released in 1995 after having spent 18 months in prison. It is reported that soon after his release, his first stop was at the residence of Bal Thackeray. Dutt has since then never shied away from proclaiming his gratitude towards the former Sena chief. In November 2012, when Thackeray was in a critical condition right before passing away, a distraught Sanjay Dutt was quoted by the Times of India as having said that “Balasaheb is a father figure to me. He stood by me at a time when no one else came forward to support me.” Manohar Joshi, Kiran Shantaram, Sanjay Dutt and Shiv Sena leader Bal Thackeray. (Express archive photo by Mahendra Parikh) Manohar Joshi, Kiran Shantaram, Sanjay Dutt and Shiv Sena leader Bal Thackeray. (Express archive photo by Mahendra Parikh) Also Read | Sanju screening: Sanjay Dutt, Alia Bhatt’s mother Soni Razdan and others watch Ranbir Kapoor starrer After Sanjay Dutt’s release, Sunil Dutt refrained from contesting Lok Sabha elections against the Sena. However, he repeatedly made clear in interviews that his reasoning for staying away from elections was his opposition to the Congress leadership.<doc-sep>Ranbir Kapoor starrer Sanju: Paresh Rawal did only one film with Sunil Dutt but they never shared screen space. Ranbir Kapoor starrer Sanju: Paresh Rawal did only one film with Sunil Dutt but they never shared screen space. Ranbir Kapoor Sanju movie: Paresh Rawal has explored all terrains, be it comedy to drama and from playing a villain to a hero. And now with the biopic Sanju, this versatile actor is set to play another legend on screen – Sunil Dutt. “I may have done some good deeds in my past life that I got to play a noble person like Mr Sunil Dutt,” said Paresh Rawal who couldn’t be any less happy to portray the late actor on screen in Sanju. In an exclusive chat with indianexpress.com, Rawal began by sharing why it was indeed a challenge to do the part. “It was difficult to portray Dutt Sahab (Sunil Dutt) because he did not have any distinct mannerism, except his goodness, his nobility, his compassion for others, and to show that on screen, any actor would have to do a lot of soul-searching to portray that. So it was very challenging and very satisfying as well,” he said. Sanju movie also has Manisha Koirala playing Nargis. Sanju movie also has Manisha Koirala playing Nargis. Sanju traces the life of Sanjay Dutt from being a star kid to his numerous affairs, relationship with his father, struggle with drugs, involvement in the 1993 Mumbai blasts and his jail term. The biopic has been directed by Rajkumar Hirani and has Ranbir playing the lead role. Rawal shared things that he discovered about the Dutts while doing Sanju. Sanjay Dutt with his father Sunil Dutt. (Express Archive Photo) Sanjay Dutt with his father Sunil Dutt. (Express Archive Photo) Paresh Rawal on Sunil Dutt “See, Sanjay Dutt’s life was completely open in the public domain. But yes, the struggle between him and his father, those things I found out and what all Dutt Sahab had to endure – your wife is on death bed and your son is walking towards death and he has to take care of them, take care of himself and his entire family. Only a good man who is truly strong from inside can handle all this. Anybody else would have just died,” the actor shared. “He had political struggles, faced problems for his political views. To cope with all this and still maintain his dignity and humanity, all those had to be shown. And then you get a director like Rajkumar Hirani, an amazing script and you get to work with a powerhouse like Ranbir Kapoor, then your work becomes very easy,” Rawal added. Paresh Rawal and Rajkumar Hirani on the sets of Sanju. Paresh Rawal and Rajkumar Hirani on the sets of Sanju. Also Read | Sanju: Who’s playing who in the Sanjay Dutt biopic While Rawal is a BJP member, late Sunil Dutt was a Congress supporter. So, did Rawal ever, while doing Sanju, face any clash of ideologies with his onscreen role? “Never! I look up to him. When I was not even in politics, I used to look up to him. He was such a noble man. He never harmed anyone in his life. And that man had to endure a test by fire. When such a man goes through so much, your belief in God shakes a bit,” he said. PHOTOS | Sanju: Sanjay Dutt, Alia Bhatt’s mother Soni Razdan and others watch Ranbir Kapoor starrer Also Read | Sanju: Ranbir Kapoor and Sanjay Dutt’s song in Sanju showcases their camaraderie, see photo Sanju also stars Manisha Koirala, Dia Mirza, Anushka Sharma, Vicky Kaushal and Sonam Kapoor among others. It releases on June 29.<doc-sep>The opening credits for Rajkumar Hirani’s Sanjay Dutt biopic Sanju advise viewer discretion, since some scenes are likely to be distressing. It isn’t clear whether the director is also referring to the sections that whitewash the Hindi movie star and entirely shift the blame for his transgressions to external factors. Sanju is the fawning biopic of Sanjay Dutt that the trailer warned us about. It promises complexity and psychological acuity. Until a point, it appears to be on track to creating a nuanced portrait of controversy’s favourite child – but then it plummets into unquestioning and misty-eyed reverence. The screenplay, by Hirani and Abhijat Joshi, opens with a writer presenting an obsequious biography of Sanjay Dutt (Ranbir Kapoor) that compares the actor to Mahatma Gandhi, an in-joke about Hirani’s 2006 film Lage Raho Munnabhai, in which Dutt’s gangster Munna gets visions of and is transformed by Mahatma Gandhi’s ghost. The brawny actor will have none of it. He rejects the book and seeks another writer to document his tumultuous life. “Nobody knows the real me,” he declares. By the end of 162 minutes, neither will you. Despite this, the appointed writer gives away the biggest clue to the biopic’s attitude to its subject. Dutt, in the presence of his third wife Manyata (Dia Mirza), is telling Winnie about the number of women he has bedded. At least 350, he says, and don’t include the prostitutes. Winnie’s blue contact lenses widen in a mix of incredulity and glee that causes the corners of her lips to meet her earlobes. Play Sanju (2018). The cocktail of gobsmacked fascination and rampaging admiration rarely thins, even when Dutt is at the peak of self-damage. His early substance abuse, which costs him his relationship with Ruby (Sonam Kapoor) and the momentum built by his debut film Rocky in 1981, is blamed on a crooked drug dealer (Jim Sarbh). The second villain is the destruction of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya on December 6, 1992, which led to communal riots across India that were especially serious in Mumbai. Spooked by threats of death and rape levelled at his family members, Dutt buys AK-56 assault rifles from members of Dawood Ibrahim’s gang, for which he is arrested and convicted. But the biggest villain is journalism. Eager to hang Dutt before a fair trial, newspapers churn out false reports that link Dutt and his father, the eminent actor, producer and Congress politician Sunil Dutt (Paresh Rawal), to the terrorist conspiracy that resulted in the bomb blasts in Mumbai in March 1993. “I am not a terrorist,” Dutt declares, and the movie devotes a chunk of its running time towards supporting his belief. He might not have been a terrorist, but what guided Sanjay Dutt’s decision to associate with gangsters and buy deadly weapons from them? The movie is unwilling to undertake a psychological exploration of its hero’s tendency to make bad choices, and Hirani does not give viewers enough room to decide for themselves. The director even deploys the lyrics of classic Hindi film in his rescue mission. Kuch To Log Kahenge, written by Anand Bakshi for Amar Prem (1972), becomes the anthem for Sanjay Dutt’s redemption. Hirani’s films are known for their folksy and unsubtle humour, their commonsensical approach to life’s complexities, and melodrama (a recurring shot in his films is of characters wiping the tears from their faces). Hirani’s talent for emotional manipulation made viewers reflect on the need for empathy and humanity in modern medicine (Munnabhai M.B.B.S., 2003), the relevance of Gandhian thought (Lage Raho Munnabhai), the problems with rote learning (3 Idiots, 2009) and the fakery of self-apointed godmen (PK, 2014). In Sanju, Hirani deploys all his skills to mount a defence of Dutt, but without acknowledging the culture of nepotism and entitlement that enabled Dutt’s frequent journeys beyond the boundaries of the law. In its relentless quest to offer absolution, Sanju is no better or worse than many other biopics that have flooded Bollywood over the past few years. These films come with in-built applause tracks, tear-jerking moments and narrative arcs that plunge to the depths only so that the eventual fightback will be that much more inspiring, The scenes about Dutt’s drug abuse and his painful rehabilitation are a warm-up to the biggest battle in his life, but they also contain the movie’s strongest moments. They tell us something about Dutt’s self-destructive streak and his tense relationship with his illustrious father. They also include one of the movie’s best characters and performances. Kamlesh (Vicky Kaushal) befriends Dutt when Nargis is being treated for cancer in New York and provides, along with Sunil Dutt, a moral compass for the beleaguered star. Kaushal’s terrific performance overshadows Paresh Rawal’s one-note turn as Sunil Dutt, and if there is anybody in Sanju who steals some of the attention from Ranbir Kapoor, it’s him. Vicky Kaushal in Sanju Image courtesy: Rajkumar Hirani Films/Vidhu Vinod Chopra Films/Fox Star Studios. The salvage job for Sanjay Dutt is made possible only because of the actor playing him. Kapoor’s impressive performance reverberates long after the end credits have rolled. Although some of his act involves flat-out mimicry, Kapoor manages to locate Dutt’s emotional core and makes the actor an altogether more interesting and complex charcter than he is in the real world. Kapoor squeezes sympathy and empathy out of the most cringe-worthy moments, including the one in which he seduces a woman meant for another. Said woman (played by Karishma Tanna) disappears as soon as she appears. The women in Sanju are as ornamental as their predecessors in Hirani’s films. Reams have been written about Sanjay Dutt’s various dalliances, and his romantic entanglements contribute to his screen persona as a man among men. The secret of Dutt’s seduction technique is another one of the elements missing from the biopic. There is instead greater frisson in the bromance between Dutt and Kamlesh, which echoes the camaraderie between Munna and Circuit from Hirani’s Munnabhai films. Winnie, who is described as “the world’s top biographer”, has no function other than to stand in for the uncritical filmmakers.<doc-sep>Some Bollywood films are more eagerly awaited than the rest, and there is a reason for that — Rajkumar Hirani. A phenomenal 95 per cent occupancy at the first day, first show that I attended in Mumbai and the whistles and cheers that followed after the CBFC certificate to Sanju flashed on screen, proved that fact about Hirani beyond doubt. Sanju fits the Hirani template: there are laughs, plenty of tear-jerking scenes and limited songs and romance. Those who anticipated that the film will "absolve" Sanjay Dutt of his mistakes passed off as “bad choices” won’t be disappointed. Here are a few thoughts on the film. Papa to the rescue. Blame it on bad journalism If you are hoping to see a "realistic" portrayal of Sanjay Dutt, then Hirani and his co-writer Abhijat Joshi have other plans for you. The film devotes some time to lament the role media played in vilifying its hero. So much so that there is even a rap on it towards the end, shot against the backdrop of black-and-white broadsheets. Yes, the newspaper, and not Dutt’s wrongdoings, is single-handedly to be blamed for why he is misunderstood and branded a terrorist. Use of sensational headlines, fake news, rumours and gossips and the use of question marks and “according to sources” and “alleged” has been criticised severely. Who’d have thought that after asking people to be more considerate towards patients (Munna Bhai MBBS) and students (3 Idiots) and beware of bogus babas (PK), Hirani’s message from Sanju would be to not take everything that newspapers write at face value. That’s a bit of stale news if you ask us. The diatribe comes as a surprise and only goes on to prove that the fourth estate is always an easy target. Sanju, played adeptly on screen by Ranbir Kapoor. Papa and pal to the rescue The two Fs — father and friendship — are integral to Hirani’s film, with the latter being the lifeline of the story. If Sanju, the bad boy of Bollywood, is likeable in the film it’s because he is surrounded by two good souls in Sunil Dutt (Paresh Rawal) and Kamlesh (Vicky Kaushal). And because he is played adeptly on screen by Ranbir Kapoor. Hirani and Joshi’s feel-good quotient is most evident in the storyline between Sanjay and his New York-based Gujarati friend who stands by his side when the actor is in dire straits. The film’s best and most joyous bits belong to the duo with Sanju often having a laugh at his friend’s behest and Kamlesh encouraging him during the lows. Kamlesh also knows Sanju the best when he describes him as a man with no “philosophy” and “maksad (purpose)”. The father-son story is trickier and Hirani and Joshi use it to highlight the burden of legacy. Sanju, audiences are told, is in a constant quest to earn his praise. But given his tendency to court trouble, he struggles to match his father’s repute or live up to his expectations. Their bond grows gradually, with Sunil Dutt playing a more active role in his puttar’s life after Sanjay is made an accused in the Bombay blasts case. The big poignant moments, one that audiences love Hirani’s films for, involve the two. By the end of it if there is one man you feel sympathy for in this entire saga, it is Sunil Dutt. Truly Bollywood Gentlemen first, ladies second The 308 women that the actor boasts of having slept with barely factor in Sanju lest they taint the hero’s image. Only Hirani and Joshi can turn even Sanjay’s philandering and insensitive behaviour into material for laughs. Manyata (Dia Mirza) here is the dutiful wife by her husband’s side. The Nargis Dutt (the charming Manisha Koirala) chapter is limited to motivating her troubled son. Ruby (Sonam Kapoor) is symbolic of the many women Sanju wronged, and sticking to script she too forgives Dutt. The less said about Anushka Sharma’s "acclaimed" and prolific biographer Winnie Dias the better. She backtracks from writing Dutt’s story whenever somebody casts an aspersion on him which given his life is least bit surprising. She is the audience, the writer and listener, albeit one who doesn’t question or cross-check information. She is the least convincing character in Sanju. More reel, less of a biopic That Rajkumar Hirani selects bits from Dutt’s life is hardly surprising. But this is Dutt’s story being told by Dutt himself. It’s his autobiography — "My Experiments with Drugs and List of Crazy Adventures". It’s Hirani and Joshi taking the funniest experiences and most troubling chapters from his life and putting them together. The narrative device works for most part, but it leaves you wanting at least one outside perspective. As a result, we get a portrait of a man who has an excuse for all his actions, however problematic they may be, with the others offering him good advice that goes mostly unheard. In Hirani’s defence, he doesn’t create a halo around his leading man’s head. But then again, the film also doesn’t delve deeper into how he became the black sheep of the illustrious family. Instead we are left with his many lows and a few occasional highs. Passion for cinema Sanju may not be Hirani’s finest film, but it does have a few strokes of his genius. There are two memorable sequences both centred on two of Dutt’s most beloved films in Vaastav and Munna Bhai MBBS. In the first, he revisits one of Dutt’s most classic scenes in the most refreshing manner, and in the other he delights the audience with a joke on Dutt himself. Also read: How BJP is repeating the same mistakes that eroded Congress' vote bank<doc-sep>
Paresh Rawal, who plays late actor-politician Sunil Dutt in Rajkumar Hirani's Sanju, chats with us about the film, working with Ranbir Kapoor and the challenges of his role In Sanju, Rajkumar Hirani's biopic on Sanjay Dutt, Paresh Rawal essays the role of the troubled Bollywood star's father, Sunil Dutt. For Rawal, the film and role presented several opportunities, including working with Hirani. Incidentally, Rawal was Hirani's initial choice for the role that went to Boman Irani in Munnabhai MBBS. “I had always wanted to work with Rajkumar Hirani because I've always admired his cinema. He’s a trustworthy director who will not meddle with facts and besides that, there would be something more in his film. He won’t mislead people. Getting an opportunity to play Sunil Dutt and that too in a biopic written by Abhijat Joshi — I could have never refused the role,” Rawal said, in an exclusive interview with Firstpost. While Rawal, who met Sunil Dutt a few times, didn't have to look like the late actor-politician per se, a major challenge was in bringing to screen a personality who didn't have any visible "tics" — specific mannerisms, gestures, quirks or traits. “Sunil Dutt was a simple man, there was no apparent style that one could follow. I watched and heard some of his speeches, saw some of his films and documentaries... but he was a very simple actor, so what to pick up from that was a bit challenging. But overall, I had to understand and emote his pain, trauma, the battle that he was fighting. The endeavour to save his son while handling his political career smoothly must have been tough, so I had to basically capture that spirit. Also, his loneliness after the death of Nargisji... I got goose-bumps while performing that because he was already going through a lot as a father and politician,” Rawal said. Incidentally, he had made his film debut with Mahesh Bhatt's Naam in 1986 — a film that starred Sanjay Dutt in the lead. Rawal also discussed what Sanju depicts of its subject's life. “Apart fromcertain personal matters, everything that happened in Sanjay Dutt’s life is all in the public domain, it's an open book. But what transpired between father-son is not known. The Dutts (Nargis and Sunil) dedicated a large part of their lives for their country. To have their son accused in the serial blasts case, living in the same house with someone who has been called a terrorist and is using drugs…what was Sunil Dutt going through during these times? What was he going through when his wife was suffering from cancer? All this is not in the public domain and this is what Sanju will show,” said Rawal. The biopic also captures different aspects of the father-son relationship: Sunil Dutt loved his son but they were not "friends". “There was a bond, but their relationship was complex. Sanjay was close to his mother, and though he loved and respected his father, he never opened up (to him) until a certain point. I tried to maintain a distance off camera with Ranbir so that as performers, we could stay true to the characters. So on set, we wouldn't spend much time together in between shots,” Rawal explained, adding that he found Ranbir to a tremendously inspiring actor: “And when you have such a good actor in front of you, it lifts your performance as well.” Portraying Sunil Dutt on screen has "amplified" Rawal's respect for the late legend. "The biggest takeaway for me was his good deeds, simplicity, nobility… All his life he fought these huge battles" his wife's illness, his son's addiction and legal troubles, and there were the controversies in his own political career. To fight all this with dignity, without abusing anyone, without blaming anyone — that to me was the biggest takeaway as an actor." Is Sanju an attempt to whitewash Sanjay Dutt's image though? Rawal bristled a little when asked that question. “There’s absolutely no process of whitewashing or diluting things that happened in his life. We are not glorifying anything," he asserted. "There are people in our country who want to be above the judiciary. They feel they know more than the courts. They pass judgments about others that have no meaning. Sanjay Dutt has served his sentence and to say anything above that is not our right."