SANJU - BO/REVIEW Thread! - Page 119

Happy 27 years Saajan!

"The more I watch Saajan the more I am struck by how deep an insight into his soul Sanju gives us in his (at times heartbreaking) portrait of a sensitive poet. How much suffering, despair and loneliness can be seen in his eyes when he is overcome by mental anguish!

Sanjay must have surprised his audience with this part as it does not fit the picture of the agile, dancing and fighting hero, whom he frequently portrayed at this time. Nevertheless, the part of Aman is more in tune with his personality than any of the gangster and macho parts with which he is identified today. Why?

Although Sanju's worst crisis (resulting from the Mumbai riots) had not yet taken place, in 1991 he already had gone through and survived depth which must have marked his soul in a similar manner to that of Aman: The harsh treatment in boarding school at the hand of teachers who did not want to be accused of preferential treatment of the son of two stars, the early death of his mother from cancer, his first wive's suffering from cancer... and in connection with this obviously his time of drug addiction, which almost cost him his life.

At that point, Sanju must have been as lonely, insecure and vulnerable as Aman. The events of his youth had marked him as they had marked the movie character whom he portrays with such incredibly sensitivity - or who wants to doubt that Sanju's much quoted childlike soul remains even today fundamentally vulnerable, insecure and lonely.

In my opinion, for the understanding of Sanjay Dutt as a human being, Saajan is as important as Naam which marks his successful overcoming of his drug addiction. If one wants to see a representation of Sanjay's soul, Saajan is the movie to watch. It is a must-see for Sanjay-fans anyway. For me, it is going to remain always one of my favourite movies starring Sanju.

x

Sanju in Saajan

Happy 32 Years Naam

"Beginning work after my drug problem wasn't easy. My co-stars were nice but they were condescending, as I was not quite in their league. I began reporting for work on time. Gradually, offers began coming. Naam was the first film which made people notice me and say, Oh! Acting kar leta hai"

The maverick filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt is of course happy to be working with his daughters but he's equally thrilled to direct Sanjay once again.

He says, "Don't forget that the two years he spent in jail haven't been tapped into by anyone. And I know that buried in there is that unspoken anguish, which I had tuned in to during the making of Naam (1986). I think life has brought us a full circle. If there ever was an actor who has trusted me and went on to become a star purely because of his ability to surrender, it's Sanju. He is like that lion, who perhaps can only be tamed by the language of love.