Sanju, the 2018 biographical drama directed by Rajkumar Hirani, garnered praise from critics and audiences alike, emerging as a major box office success. Yet, for Sanjay Dutt’s sister, politician Priya Dutt, the film left a lingering sense of disappointment. Despite appreciating the film’s impact and Ranbir Kapoor’s acclaimed performance, Priya recently opened up about how the biopic didn’t quite do justice to the complexity of her brother’s life—or the importance of their parents, Sunil Dutt and Nargis.
In an interview, Priya shared that the film felt more like an amalgamation of entertainment and fiction than a true biographical portrayal. According to her, the narrative overly simplified Sanjay’s journey and placed too much emphasis on a singular friend character—who, in reality, was a blend of several people from her brother’s life. She questioned why the story didn’t explore the family dynamic more deeply, especially the profound influence of their parents.
“I also felt that the movie didn’t do justice to, I think, even my mum in the film, or my father. There is a lot that could have been worked on. There was a lot. Even the relationship between the father and son, the way it was—I think a lot more could have been shown,” she said, pointing to the emotional and narrative gaps she observed.
Though she considered reaching out to director Rajkumar Hirani, Priya Dutt ultimately decided against it. Her sense was that the filmmakers had a different vision, one centered purely on Sanjay’s personal experiences. “I was tempted… But I think they had a different concept in mind. I didn’t call him. Their focus was just Sanju, of course, which I get that — and his life. It became a bit of a caricature. Maybe they had to amalgamate too many characters. It’s not what I expected it to be. I think it was more entertainment… I loved Ranbir Kapoor in it. He played Sanju very well. But yeah, I feel it wasn’t really a biopic. It was a film, very entertaining, and included only certain aspects of his life. The intensity was missing.”
When she shared her thoughts with her brother, his response was short and reflective of his usual candid nature. “Now, what?” was all Sanjay Dutt said.
While Sanju succeeded in drawing audiences and sparking conversations, for those closest to the real-life story, it appears some parts of the narrative remain untold—and some emotions, unexpressed.
