Sanju (2018)

Sanju is special because it turns a tabloid-saturated life into a surprisingly humane, crowd-pleasing drama, balancing pain, humor, and big-screen momentum with Rajkumar Hirani’s trademark polish. Ranbir Kapoor doesn’t just imitate Sanjay Dutt—he inhabits him, capturing the swagger and the vulnerability so convincingly you stop thinking about “performance” and start watching a person unravel and rebuild. The film’s emotional backbone comes from the relationships around him, especially the steady presence of his father and a loyal friend, giving the story warmth even when it’s wading through addiction, scandal, and public judgment. It’s not for everyone—some will find its sympathetic lens too forgiving and the adult content blunt—but if you want an engaging, emotionally charged portrait of fame’s fallout, it’s hard to look away.

Sanju is clearly trying to be a fast-moving, emotionally crowd-pleasing redemption story about a messy, famous life, with Rajkumar Hirani leaning hard into humor, heart, and big “misunderstood man” beats. The problem is it often feels less like a searching biopic and more like a carefully curated PR narrative, smoothing over harder questions and steering you toward sympathy instead of scrutiny. Ranbir Kapoor’s performance is committed and the friendship angle with Vicky Kaushal gives the film real warmth, but if you want a balanced, investigative look at accountability and the darker edges of the controversy, this will likely frustrate you. Worth your time if you’re in the mood for an entertaining, emotional Bollywood drama; not ideal if you’re allergic to whitewashing or expecting nuance over messaging.