| Director | Rajkumar Hirani |
|---|---|
| Genre | biographical film |
| Runtime | 155 min |
| Country | India |
| Budget | ₹96 crore |
| Box office | ₹586.9 crore |
D. N. Tripathi, an eccentric lyricist, presents a heavily romanticized biography comparing actor Sanjay "Sanju" Dutt to Mahatma Gandhi. Disgusted by the lack of realism, Sanju rejects the manuscript. Concurrently, the Supreme Court of India upholds Sanju's conviction for violating the Arms Act, 1959, arising from the 1993 Bombay bombings, sentencing him to a five-year prison term. Desperate to counter his tarnished public image before his incarceration, Sanju's wife, Manyata, persuades London-based biographer Winnie Diaz to chronicle his true life story. Though initially skeptical due to a warning from Zubin Mistry, a wealthy builder and Sanju's former friend, Winnie is won over by Sanju's unfiltered honesty regarding his chaotic past. She agrees to write the book, triggering a series of chronological flashbacks.
In the early 1980s, stifled by the strict professional oversight of his father, acclaimed filmmaker and politician Sunil Dutt, during the production of his debut film Rocky (1981), Sanju seeks escape. Zubin, an insidious drug peddler nicknamed "God," exploits Sanju's vulnerability by introducing him to severe substance abuse. Sanju becomes profoundly addicted, a dependency that rapidly accelerates when his mother, Nargis, is diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer. During her treatment in New York City, Sanju befriends Kamlesh "Kamli" Kanhaiyalal Kapasi, a loyal fan of his parents. Kamli becomes his emotional anchor, attempting to steer him toward sobriety. However, Sanju's worsening addiction causes his disillusioned girlfriend, Ruby, to permanently abandon their relationship. Following Nargis's tragic death just days before Rocky's premiere, a devastated Sanju enters a rehabilitation center in the United States, successfully achieving sobriety with the support of Sunil and Kamli. Upon returning to India, Sanju violently expels Zubin from his life.
In the 1990s, Sanju achieves immense box-office success and reinvents himself as an action star. Following the 1992 Babri Masjid demolition and subsequent communal tensions, Sunil receives explicit death threats due to his secular political stance. After a localized assault on Kamli's property, a panicked Sanju illegally acquires an AK-56 assault rifle from arms traffickers linked to the D-Company underworld solely for familial protection. Following the coordinated 1993 Bombay bombings, local police discover the weapon, arresting Sanju under the draconian Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA). Driven by sensationalist media headlines implying Sanju's active complicity in trafficking explosives, a disillusioned Kamli severs all ties with him, believing he has betrayed the nation.
Following a lengthy interim prison release in 1995, Sanju's career suffers from a string of commercial failures. To restore his public standing and morale, Sunil persuades him to accept the lead role in Rajkumar Hirani's Munna Bhai M.B.B.S. (2003). The film's overwhelming success rehabilitates Sanju's public image and restores his father's pride shortly before Sunil's death.
In 2006, the judiciary formally clears Sanju of all terrorism-related charges under TADA but maintains his conviction under the Arms Act for illegal weapon possession. When his final appeal is rejected in 2013, Sanju utilizes his remaining days of freedom to reconcile with Winnie and Kamli. Guided by Manyata, he presents verified evidence exposing how speculative, unverified tabloid journalism systematically distorted legal facts to brand him a terrorist. Convinced of his patriotism, a remorseful Kamli reconciles with him.
Upon his definitive release from prison in 2016, Sanju discovers that Winnie has completed his biography, titled Kuch Toh Log Kahenge (People Will Talk). Reunited with Manyata and Kamli, Sanju publicly embraces his flawed legacy, imploring his children to emulate the integrity of their grandfather, Sunil, rather than his own.