Sanju
A famous Hindi-film actor confronts addiction, scandal, criminal suspicion, and imprisonment while trying to reclaim the story of his own life.
Overview
A tumultuous journey through fame, addiction, and redemption unfolds in this gripping tale.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- witty
- heartbreaking
- emotionally intense
- bollywood movie night
- biopic marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film entertaining and emotionally engaging, praising Ranbir Kapoor’s transformative performance, Vicky Kaushal’s support, and Rajkumar Hirani’s direction while noting dramatic liberties and uneven supporting work.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The film dramatizes Sanjay Dutt’s career, addictions, criminal associations, imprisonment, family history, and contested public image.
Sanjay’s addictions, underworld connections, legal troubles, and alleged terrorism links remain central even as the story emphasizes recovery and resilience.
Writer Winnie Diaz investigates Sanjay’s life and uses his account, alongside recollections from people close to him, to organize the retrospective narrative.
Ranbir Kapoor portrays Sanjay Dutt across distinct stages of his career, addiction, imprisonment, and personal recovery.
Films like Sanju, and why
The Wolf of Wall Street
charismatic biographical drama centered on a troubled celebrity, combining humor, addiction, public scandal, and emotional reckoning
Rocketman
empathetic artist biography blending professional success, self-destructive behavior, addiction, and family relationships
M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story
emotionally direct indian biographical drama about a public figure whose personal struggles shape his public image
Walk the Line
mainstream biographical filmmaking balancing comic energy, melodrama, performance-driven storytelling, and a complicated male protagonist
Movie Details
- Director
- Rajkumar Hirani
- Release Date
- 2018-06-28
- Runtime
- 161 min
- Rating
- 7.2 / 10 (226)
Cast
- Ranbir Kapoor
- Paresh Rawal
- Vicky Kaushal
- Anushka Sharma
- Dia Mirza
- Manisha Koirala
- Sonam Kapoor Ahuja
- Boman Irani
- Karishma Tanna
- Jim Sarbh
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads
- Rent
- Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube
- Buy
- Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Sanju about?
- A famous Hindi-film actor confronts addiction, scandal, criminal suspicion, and imprisonment while trying to reclaim the story of his own life.
- What is Sanju like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Sanju as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Sanju violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Sanju as moderate.
- What did critics think of Sanju?
- Critics broadly found the film entertaining and emotionally engaging, praising Ranbir Kapoor’s transformative performance, Vicky Kaushal’s support, and Rajkumar Hirani’s direction while noting dramatic liberties and uneven supporting work.
- Which films are like Sanju?
- Films with a similar feel include The Wolf of Wall Street, Rocketman, M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story, and Walk the Line.
- How long is Sanju?
- Sanju runs 161 minutes.
- Where can I watch Sanju?
- In United States, Sanju streams on Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads.
