Sanju- Jaadu Ki Japi from Me!

So after watching the movie last week, although I loved it, I had decided I wasn’t going to write about Sanju, because I truly believe this is not a biopic and given that I swim in the air of my own righteousness sometimes :P. then I watched it one more time this week, I just said to myself- come on!...enough already!! So after making the following disclaimer “this review is not attached to any emotional connect to the character or the real life & events of Actor Sanjay Dutt and merely a reflection of my joy of being entertained by the absolutely amazing screenplay and the outstanding performances of all actors in this movie” I write this heartfelt review.

This is what perfect writing, screenplay and direction are suppose to be like, there is so much detailing that I had to sit and wonder how organised and thorough Abhijat Joshi (writer) would be in real life? The movie is so absorbing and the dialogues absolutely mesmerise you.  There is research, thought and timing and obviously a vision that Rajkumar Hirani has beautifully imbibed in making this movie.  The intentional casting and the makeup can only make the actors look like the real characters they play, however I think each of them was given a “jaadu ki tonic” to have enacted these roles so true to the actual body language and speech of the real people they were playing. They all deserve a “jaadu ki Japi” and the first Japi goes to Ranbir kapoor.  Apart from the body transformation of the different stages of Sanjay Dutts’ life, this man has gone to as much as to move his neck (and other mannerisms) and even deflect his voice to match Sanjay Dutt to the T. The movie begins with Sanjay struggling to find a writer for his biography before he is up for surrender to the Supreme Court. He manages to convince Winnie(Anushka Sharma), a renowned writer,  to whom he makes insightful confessions and presents his side of the story- right from his drug addictions, to criminal offenses and jail term. In the midst of his narrative he highlights his insecurities of the past, his evolved relationship with his father (Paresh Rawal) and the loss of his dear relationships with his girl friend Ruby( Rhea Kapoor) and friend Kamli (Vicky Kaushal). Winnie plays the biographer, an investigator  to bring the life story of Sanjay together and in the end plays the peacemaker and  reunites Sanju with his dear friend Kamli.

Paresh Rawal is surely one of the finest actors, and so is Vicky Kaushal, whose presence makes the film even more solid. Vicky Kaushal's background in theatre surely is an added advantage and you can see how he finely blends in to Kamli or his role in Raazi as Iqbal, as if he were living it each day. Anjan Srivastav, who plays a Minister, has barely a screen time of 2 mins in which this Mr. Srinivas Wagle of  “Wagle he Duniya” fame knows how to get your attention and has you in splits. Boman Irani, Manisha Koirala, Sonam Kapoor too have done their shorter bits with noteworthy performances

The music of this film is just as engaging and meaningfully threaded in the story. The song Baba Bolta Hain Bas Ho Gaya’  ends the movie on a super energetic mode with a message.  I was glad I took my teenage nephew to watch this movie with me, this probably was a moral science lesson which was entertaining and not rhetoric.