Rajkumar Hirani reacts to allegations of whitewashing Sanjay Dutt's image in Sanju: 'I was just greedy about...'

Helmed by Rajkumar Hirani, the 2018 film Sanju had Ranbir Kapoor portraying Sanjay Dutt. The biographical drama became one of the biggest Bollywood blockbusters as it grossed Rs 588 crore worldwide. Though Sanju received tremendous acclaim from the audiences and critics, many people also accused the filmmaker for whitewashing Dutt's image in the film. Now, Rajkumar Hirani has denied such allegations and revealed the real reason why he made Sanju.

Speaking the trade analyst Komal Nahta on his YouTube channel Game Changers, Hirani said, "During an interview once, I was asked if I made Sanju to whitewash Sanjay Dutt’s image. I was like, ‘What is your problem with him?’ He said, ‘He kept the gun with him’. I was like, ‘So, we have shown him keeping the gun. We even showed how he called his friend to throw it in the water and destroy it. We also showed he was a drug addict. We even showed he slept with his best friend’s girlfriend. We also showed he was a brat. What is that you think I have not shown to whitewash his image? People developed a perception based on what they have read about him around. Nobody knows him first hand."

"I am not an out-of-work director to be so desperate to make a film to whitewash someone’s image. Neither was I that close friends with him. I was just greedy about the story. It wasn’t like I just heard his side of the story, but I also spoke to his friends and family. I even spoke to a police, and questioned them, “Just tell me that you had kept a gun, everyone knows about it, was there a connection? You think he ever knew that about this thing? If this is the case then I won’t make the film. He said, ‘There was no connection, he was stupid to keep the gun'", the multiple National Award-winning filmmaker further added.

Concluding his thoughts, Hirani said, "There was a whole perception that there was a truck full of RDX at his home. This too came from a news item. Many in the industry talked to me against the film. ‘Why you doing this?’ There was no truth to this. There was no record of him having a truck like that. I read entire High Court and Supreme Court judgement. Nothing was mentioned. Even Sanjay said he never had such charges against him. Because it was interesting, I made it."

Apart from Ranbir, Sanju also starred Paresh Rawal, Vicky Kaushal, Manisha Koirala, Anushka Sharma, Jim Sarbh, and Dia Mirza among others. Before making Sanjay Dutt's biopic, Rajkumar Hirani had directed the actor in Munna Bhai MBBS and Lage Raho Munna Bhai, released in 2003 and 2006 respectively. Dutt was also seen in a special appearance in PK, which Hirani had made with Aamir Khan in 2014.