“Sanju” Review: Ranbir Kapoor holds the film together with his stellar performance!

We already know the story of the film. It’s on the journey and life of actor Sanjay Dutt. From his drug addiction, to his alleged involvement in terrorism (emphasis on the word alleged), to his jail term, to his relationship with his father, the purpose of this film was to explore it all and reveal all the secrets that we may be unaware of. Yes, indeed all that is there in the film, jumbled up, and served to us. No doubt, the film is engaging as well. The fact that this is a film based on Sanjay Dutts life is what keeps you hooked, and probably the reason why you would choose to watch this film. You want to know more about him. Later in this review, I’ll share the other reason why you should watch this film. The film starts off fast, slows down when things get serious, there are a few entertaining moments, and a few moments that leave an impact as well. You end up learning quite a bit about Sanjay Dutt, but that is not necessarily the strength of the film. It isn’t really the flaw of the film either, however the film could have definitely been much better.

I feel that the narrative in which the story has been presented to us, could have been more effective. No doubt, there are many aspects in the film which somewhat succeed at overshadowing certain blemishes, but it should still be mentioned. It’s as if we are skimming through the pages of his life, without properly connecting to him. Perhaps this is because his life is genuinely complex and filled with so many incidents, that it’s difficult to really put all the dots together in a manner by which we can connect to him. Another flaw are some of the story telling choices that were made. When Sanjay Dutt thinks of his mother, we see her next to him. There are also some quick flashes of previous scenes to remind us of a plot point that we may have forgotten as we move to another scene. In todays day and age, these visual techniques seem a bit outdated, although once again this is a slight blemish that can be forgiven, especially if they work at evoking a particular emotion. Technically this film is fine, although the visual effects when Dutt gets ‘high’ were of mediocre quality, and it was a bit repetitive as well. The songs go with the feel of the film. Special mention to “Ruby Ruby”, composed by A.R Rahman. The editing is decent. Ranbir Kapoors get up is impressive, and it goes without saying that the makers have spent a lot of time trying to give him the right look.

Now to the acting! The acting is the main strength of the film.  That is the main reason why one should watch this film, other than the curiosity behind Sanjay Dutts life journey. There is a certain level of energy and positivity in everyones performance, and that lights up the screen. It goes without saying that Ranbir Kapoor has done an excellent job at getting into the skin of Sanjay Dutt. The body language and the voice is remarkable. He holds the film together with his stellar performance! Paresh Rawal is impressive as always. The other two actors that leave a mark are Vicky Kaushal and Jim Sarbh. They are both amazing! Manisha Koirala and Sonam Kapoor are decent . Boman Irani is splendid during his short appearance in the film.

Special mention to the scenes with Ranbir and Vicky Kaushal. Those are some of the best scenes in the film! They are entertaining, and play an important part in the film. The scenes with Jim Sarbh are also well executed in the film(Especially Jims last scene). Ironically, the scenes of Sanjay Dutt with his father are not as interesting as they should be, even though a large amount of screen time is dedicated to them.

Overall, if you are expecting a Rajkumar Hirani entertainer with this film, you will be surprised to see that this is very different from his other films, slightly deviating from his trademark style. This is his first attempt at a biopic, and while the effort can be seen, it can also be seen that this is new territory for the director. It works in bits and pieces, with a few well executed scenes that leave an impact, but collectively it doesn’t quite hit the mark. But still, it’s a film worth a watch, since you will definitely be engaged throughout!

3.5 Stars