Sanju, the mega-blockbuster, record breaking movie, has shaken up the entire country with emotions and great acting.

The movie made by Rajkumar Hirani and starring Ranbir Kapoor has been the talk of the town ever since it released and so big has its craze gotten that it was rumoured that upcoming movies Dhadak and Soorma might have to postpone their release date.

While they are not postponing it and releasing it on the scheduled dates, it certainly gives us a glimpse of how popular the movie is and how people are running to see it.

And I have to give a hat’s off to Hirani for creating such a good film, where we get to see insight into Sanjay Dutt’s life that were previously hidden from the public eye.

However, it seems the hero of the movie is not the namesake of the movie, instead it is the strong and sturdy man standing right beside him, that being Sunil Dutt.

For me, after watching the movie, it felt that while sure the film might have been about Sanjay Dutt, however, the true hero of the film was Sunil Dutt, who was played by Paresh Rawal.

Allow me to lay down some examples as to why I think that way, also warning since this will surely have some spoilers and if you’ve not seen the movie, it could be dangerous for you:

#1. When Sunil Dutt Slept On The Floor

Around the time when Sanjay Dutt was first put in jail for possessing AK-47 guns, Sunil Dutt was shown in a harried but still strong manner.

As a father he knew that he had to stay strong for his clearly terrified and confused son, but in those moments Paresh Rawal brilliantly portrayed the grief and weakness that the elder Dutt must have felt.

But the scene that impacted me most was when Sanju’s friend Kamlesh was leaving the elder Dutt’s study after Sanju was in jail. While leaving, Sunil Dutt’s character told him to switch off the fan and when Kamlesh said that it is hot outside, the elder Dutt said how his son was also without any fan or external luxuries.

He then proceeded to lay down on the floor as a symbolic gesture of standing with his son.

#2.  When He Gave A Telling Off To The Publisher

The media was put in an extremely bad light in the movie and one of the main complaints with it was how it just publishes anything without thinking how it might impact someone’s life.

When a publication put out an article of how Sanjay Dutt might be finished, Sunil Dutt’s character angrily marched into their office and gave an inspiring speech on ethical journalism and how using certain words, journalists can get away with saying anything, no matter how false or hurtful it might be.

The entire scene was so strong and powerful, and it ended with Sunil Dutt making a promise of how his son was not finished.

He took the same paper and with a pen changed the question mark beside the line ‘Sanjay Dutt Finished’ to a full stop and said that he will not allow his son to go down like this.

Read More: Toilet Leak Scene In Sanju Is Needed To Create A Scare Of Jails And Not Glorify Them

Sunil Dutt Was Always In Control 

As a viewer, it only seldom felt that Sanjay Dutt was in the driver’s seat, even though the whole movie was about him and named after him.

Instead, the person who was in control, doing the right things and appearing as a strong individual was Sunil Dutt.

Because the thing that struck me was how more focus was given to the trials and tribulations that Sunil Dutt had to go through even though he was not the one committing any of those wrongdoings.

But, in a way, it made sense, because even at his brittle and senior age, he did not waver or lose confidence in his son. He stood strong and kept supporting his child through no matter what he did and he managed all that while grieving for his lost wife.

Sunil Dutt’s character was shown as someone who always lived and worked for others, be it his son, or his country when he is shown working for the Muslim victims.

Even at Sanju’s worst, when he took drugs while in his dying mother’s room, Sunil Dutt did not shirk him away. At no point in the film, did he ever take away that solid hand he had over Sanjay Dutt and leave him alone.


Image Credits: Google Images


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