Sanju real vs reel: Things that left us wondering whether they actually happened in Sanjay Dutt’s life

Ranbir Kapoor has seamlessly melted into his role in Sanju. No wonder, a few minutes into the film and you’ll forget that it is a biopic. And if after the movie, you imagine Ranbir’s face on Sanjay Dutt’s voice, we don’t blame you.

Sanju begins with a disclaimer that portions of the story have been dramatised for cinematic liberty. However, during the film, you do wonder what’s true and what’s been modified. Here are a few things in Sanju which were quite interesting as a revelation, though we still wonder whether they were really true, and did happen!

Spoilers ahead. Read at your own risk. Still reading? Okay, here you go!

Munna Bhai MBBS script

We see how Paresh Rawal’s Sunil Dutt is trying hard to ensure his son becomes focused in his career, and signs good films. This, after a dozen of Sanjay’s films have bombed at the box office. Papa Dutt motivates him to read all the scripts coming his way in depth before making a decision, and Sanjay shows him a car full of scripts which he has discarded. He takes names of few probable movies with funny titles, and one of them being Munna Bhai MBBS. Sunil Dutt picks that one script and asks Sanjay its story, to check whether he has actually read it. When the son fails to explain, Dutt senior reveals that he knows its plot as he will be playing his onscreen father. What happened to Munna Bhai MBBS in real, and how it became a cult in Bollywood, isn’t unknown. But, we wonder whether that particular conversation between the father-son duo really happened!

Ruby’s mangalsutra episode

We aren’t sure whether Sanjay Dutt had a girlfriend named Ruby in real. And more than that, the fact that he ditched her on their wedding day. Their ultimate face-off regarding the mangalsutra, which, according to the film, Sanjay sold to buy drugs, is yet to be confirmed. It is possible that Ruby’s role represented all the women Sanjay dated and the magalsutra argument was just written for the film, or maybe not!

Also Read | Sanju box office collection day 2: The Ranbir Kapoor film earns Rs 73.35 crore

Thank you letter

One of the most emotional moments in the film was when Sanjay fails to read out the thank you note he wrote for his father before his death. Throughout the funeral sequence, flashes of memory keep coming back to Sanjay and he even imagines reading it out to Sunil Dutt. Agreed, that it was one of the most beautiful and heartbreaking portions of the film. And if it had really taken place, we cannot imagine the plight of Sanjay.

Also Read | Sanju beats Race 3 and Padmaavat, becomes highest Day 2 earner of 2018

Vicky Kaushal

Also Read | Vicky Kaushal: Kamli is an amalgamation of three or four of Sanjay Dutt’s closest friends

This actor was the soul of Sanju, and managed to strike a bond not just with his on-screen friend, but even the audience. Vicky’s Kamli is an amalgamation of a bunch of Sanjay’s real life friends who’ve stood by him through thick and thin. And one of them is his US-based entrepreneur buddy Paresh Ghelani. Now, how much of Vicky’s part was true, even we would love to know. As for reel versus real, even their names rhyme – Kamlesh and Paresh!

Drugs’ checklist

When Sanjay Dutt is sent to the rehab center in the US, the doctor asks him to make a checklist of all the drugs he has consumed so far. And Ranbir’s character goes ahead and ticks on all the boxes in the list that includes nearly every drug in this world! Now, we surely wonder whether Sanjay had indeed consumed all of that in reality, as a lot of them are not easily available. And even if they are, isn’t it a little too much for a single man to bear both physically and financially?