TheReviewMonk
Sanju backdrop
29 June 2018Hindi135 min

Sanju

6.734 reviews
CriticsRecommended

Bayesian avg · 34 critic reviews

7.5+ Exceptional · 6.5 Recommended · 5.0 Mixed

6.89 ratings
UsersMixed

User Score · avg of 9 ratings

8.0+ Exceptional · 7.0 Recommended · 5.5 Mixed

Abhijat Joshi WriterRavi Varman CinematographyRajkumar Hirani DirectorRajkumar Hirani Writer

Based on controversial life of actor Sanjay Dutt. His film career, jail sentence and personal life.

Critic Consensus

Critical reception for Sanju was largely positive, with most reviewers praising Ranbir Kapoor's performance as the standout element and Rajkumar Hirani's entertaining, emotionally engaging direction. The film was widely credited for blending humour, drama, and emotion into an accessible and crowd-pleasing package. However, a recurring criticism across multiple reviews was that the film functions more as a sympathetic rehabilitation of Sanjay Dutt's image than an honest or warts-and-all biopic, with several critics noting the selective, one-sided treatment of its subject. A few reviewers also pointed to melodrama, an uneven tone, and an overlong runtime as structural weaknesses.

34 reviews · 23 positive · 3 mixed

Praised: Ranbir Kapoor's transformative performanceCriticised: Whitewashing Dutt's image over honesty

AI-generated summary of 34 critic reviews · may contain errors

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Critic Reviews (34)

Rajeev MasandTop Critic· IBNLive
7.0
"It's a consistently engaging film that makes its way to your heart even though the head frequently resists."
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Shubhra GuptaTop Critic· Indian Express
5.0
"...what we get, and how we get it, in Sanju, is mostly engaging, and some of it good enough to make you laugh out loud in pleasure, especially when Hirani is killing it. But you wonder too what the film chose to leave out, and you wonder if this would have been more of a film if those things had been in here."
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Taran Adarsh· Bollywood Hungama
9.0
"SANJU is an entertaining saga that blends emotions, humour and drama in adequate doses. It is powerful, engaging, emotional as well as compelling. The combination of Rajkumar Hirani and Ranbir Kapoor works like a dream. At the box office, despite not being a 'typical Rajkumar Hirani family entertainer', SANJU will score tremendously and emerge as a Monstrous Hit! Don't miss it!"
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R.M. Vijayakar· IndiaWest
9.0
"Technically, the film is upbeat, though some of the hallucination sequences look tacky, unlike the neater job in "Kaalakandi." The background score (Sanjay Wandrekar and Atul Raninga) is minimalistic and thus most welcome. Vikram Gaikwad's make-up, Clover Wootton's prosthetics, and Viral Thakkar's VFX help create the world in which Dutt rules. And we loved the re-created sequences from "Munna Bhai MBBS." This is a biopic that cannot be missed."
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Meena Iyer· DNA India
8.0
"Watch Sanju—it's an emotional roller-coaster that will give you the satisfaction of having read a bestseller."
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Sukanya Verma· Rediff
8.0
"Ranbir covers a wide range of Dutt's changing physicality -- the minutest of details are captured in his shoulders, eyes, frame, voice -- but it's the internalisation of Dutt and the intelligence to know what to highlight and where to hold back that lends candour borderlining on conceit such awe-inspiring authenticity."
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IANS· Sify
8.0
"Sanju with a special emphasis on the father-son relationship, as well as his bond with his friend Kamli, is a heart-warming tale, honestly told."
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Umesh Punwani· KoiMoi
8.0
"Sanju entertains, surprises & blows your mind. Ranbir Kapoor stays in the zone & rules it. Vicky Kaushal is going to fly high after this one. Rajkumar Hirani achieves the excellence 5th time in a row!"
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Rachit Gupta· Times Of India
8.0
"Presenting a biopic on a man with so many shades and one who's lived a life of such extremes is a no mean feat. Hirani, in his signature style, takes you through Sanju's remarkable journey with the finesse and commitment it needs. In the film, Sanju's wife says that he's the king of bad choices, and Hirani's idea of making a film on his life has certainly paid off. Yes, there's a lot missing, but even then, this is still an incredible story of a man and a movie star who made massive mistakes, walked through fire, survived it and lived one heck of a life."
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Samrudhi Gosh· India Today
8.0
"It is not child's play to make a biopic, particularly on someone whose life has been splashed all over the tabloids, in excruciating detail. Given the kind of biopics we have seen in commercial mainstream Bollywood so far, Sanju has definitely raised the bar. Watch Sanju for Ranbir Kapoor, Rajkumar Hirani, the laughs, the tears... in a nutshell, everything."
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"Sanju is the film that it is because of the infectious energy Ranbir Kapoor injects into the film. An absolute must-watch."
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Madhuri· FilmiBeat
8.0
"...the film makes you realize that Sanjay Dutt's life is made of flaws. But it's Rajkumar Hirani's skilful direction and Ranbir Kapoor's fine performance which stitches it into a wholesome entertainer with good intentions. After all, there's a crack in everything. Isn't that how the light gets in?"
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Devesh Sharma· Filmfare
8.0
"Sanju tells you superstars are humans too. They can make bad, even horrible decisions -- like every other human being on earth and we shouldn't be quick to judge them. Rajkumar Hirani, the director has made a hugely entertaining film for the audience. And for his friend Sanjay Dutt, he has given a vehicle to finally tell his version of events and say to his detractors  -- bas ho gaya yaar!"
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Pinkvilla Team· PinkVilla
8.0
"ou wish Hirani had exhibited more maturity in the script. Somehow, the favourable approach towards Dutt bothers you but the film is so high on entertainment value, energy and brilliant storytelling that the buff in me is satiated and the journalist in me is enraged."
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Joyjeet Das· CatchNews
7.0
"Hirani, undoubtedly, knows which tale to tell. He knows how to tell it and who to tell it with."
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7.0
"At 161 minutes of screen time, Hirani manages to give Sanju a massive 'jaddoo ki jappi', like no other, and one that will surely win over many hearts. But, does that validate the misgivings of a fallen star? I don't think so."
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Tushar Joshi· Bollywood Life
7.0
"Sanju is undoubtedly Ranbir Kapoor's career best performance and will fetch him all the awards and recognition. Don't go looking for a fair and accurate depiction of Dutt's life and you won't be disappointed. Watch it for the sheer entertainment it provides and the unmatched versatility of Ranbir Kapoor."
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FridayMoviez Reviewer· FridayMoviez
7.0
"Sanju is not a multiple time watch film but its a definite watch for the sake of mighty performances that you will surely be blown away with."
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Kunal Guha· Mumbai Mirror
7.0
"Some may complain that Sanju makes light of the convicted actor's inglorious misadventures. But if one really hoped for a bittersweet account, we'd watch an Anurag Kashyap."
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IndiaTvNews Reviewer· IndiaTvNews
7.0
"Though second half gets a tad slow, Hirani holds your interest firmly with an equal dose of humour, emotions and a bit of suspense. After a long time, we have a film with good songs which you can hum even after coming out of the theatre. Sanju is definitely worth your time."
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Murtaza Ali Khan· APotpourriOfVestiges
6.0
"Sanju has its moments but as the story progresses it gradually begins to loosen its grip. The acting performances are solid all around. Apart from Vicky Kaushal, Ranbir Kapoor and Paresh Rawal another actor who deserves a special mention is Jim Sarbh who yet again impresses in a rather insignificant role. The movie's focus is more on redeeming Sanjay Dutt than telling an honest story. It is the kind of a film that one would expect from an average filmmaker but from someone like Rajkumar Hirani one is bound to expect better."
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Mohar Basu· Mid-Day
6.0
"Few glaring hiccups in an otherwise watchable and frankly, very enjoyable film. Just don't hope for a warts-and-all biopic..."
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Rohit Bhatnagar· Deccan Chronicle
6.0
"With a runtime of 161 minutes, the film is engaging and enjoyable but the film definitely tries to clear the image of Sanjay Dutt."
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IndiaGlitz· India Glitz
6.0
"Watch Sanju for Ranbir's transformation into one of India's most controversial actor. Sanju is a display of some fine acting with a story that mostly reveals what the world already knows on a light hearted note"
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Sushant Mehta· India Today
6.0
"Its watchable, but its not Rajkumar Hiranis best film. Im going with 3 and a half out of 5 for Sanju. I expected much more from Rajkumar Hirani, cant expect more from Ranbir."
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Rohit Vats· Hindustan Times
5.0
"Sanju is another gem in Ranbir Kapoor's repertoire, but the same can't be said about Rajkumar Hirani. Sanju is watchable but a very average fare."
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Manisha Lakhe· NowRunning
4.0
"Let's get one thing straight: This is a work of fiction masquerading as a biopic. And Rajkumar Hirani may have violins standing by to manipulate emotions, and he has Ranbir Kapoor mimicking Sanjay Dutt's mannerisms, but the movie remains a vanilla version of a life full of violence induced by drugs, guns, bad company and women."
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Suparna Sharma· Deccan Chronicle
4.0
"Ranbir is outstanding in this dishonest film..."
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Nandini Ramnath· Scroll.in
"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."
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"Sanju is Ranbir Kapoor and Vicky Kaushal's film. Both actors pull even the flawed parts of the film together, and neatly wrap the histrionics with flavour and variety. Sanju is an entertaining film, and has all the elements of a blockbuster — but one wishes the honesty and nuance went beyond just the performances."
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Namrata Joshi· The Hindu
"Sanju started off on a dissonant note for me, it took a long while to settle down in its world of excesses. The caricaturish feel, the slapstick tone, the garish colours, the kitschy backdrops and in the midst of it, manipulative scenes like the one juxtaposing Dutt's innocent kids next to the rabble-rousing reactions against him on television news and a shrill Sonam Kapoor yelling aloud for a missing mangalsutra."
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""Sanju" is not a particularly engaging film because it stretches too long and resorts to melodrama over substance, but Bollywood also lost the opportunity to look at one of its own with a neutral lens and tell his story honestly."
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Komal Nahta· Komal Nahta's Blog
"Sanju is a definite blockbuster. It will work wonders for Ranbir Kapoor and Vicky Kaushal in particular. It will also boost the image of Sanjay Dutt in the public eye, which will help in Dutt's future career. It can easily cross the Rs. 250-crore mark in India. It shouldn't be a surprise if it even joins the 300-crore club, making it one of the biggest blockbusters of Hindi cinema!! Its business in multiplexes will be HUGE."
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Divya Pal· IBNLive
"Sanju isn't a family drama, Hirani offers wholesome entertainment to the viewers. He doesn't use songs, dialogues to excite the audience or draw them to cinema halls. Nothing appears out of nowhere, just flows with the film."
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Cast & Crew

Cast

Details

Release Date
29 June 2018
Runtime
135 min
Language
Hindi

User Ratings & Reviews

Users6.89 ratings

9 ratings from the community

Community Reviews (4)

A must watch movie ...

TEJul 2018

Sanju is a film with missing pieces, which the makers try to fill by taking you back to the Bollywood of the 70s and 80s. The old songs playing in tandem with emotional scenes are the height of the Hirani effect, despite the film having A R Rahman's oldie songs, and a remarkable pumping number "Kar Har Maidaan Fateh" sung with otherworldly energy by Sukhwinder Singh. A tearjerking second half further makes you forget about the pieces as well as the poor product placements of at least two brands. There is a lot going on between the lines. Unfortunately, they are not the parts that are missing from this ambitious biopic that reeks of conflict of interest. Nonetheless, it still is a well-crafted film that has a very high entertainment quotient as a standalone story about "a father and son". Just don't believe everything you see. TN.

AJJul 2018

some of the few imp scenes not had shown that makes movie a little bit low from expectation.

Rajkummar Hirani's Sanju is the biography of the superstar of our times, Sanjay Dutt, beginning from his journey of Bobby and ending up to his prison release. Ranbir Kapoor plays the character of Dutt with great charm, and Vicky Kaushal is mature as Kamlesh, his friend. Not one is the frame in which Hirani doesn't foil the misdeeds of his actor friend, but that sensation doesn't actually affect the storytelling.

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