Book Review #2: Sanjay Dutt: One Man, Many Lives By Ram Kamal Mukherjee

Book Name-Sanjay Dutt: One Man, Many Lives

Author- Ram Kamal Mukherjee

Publisher-Rupa Publications

Buy it from: Amazon

Blurb:

What the world knows about Sanjay Dutt is only half-truths.

Best-selling author, film producer and renowned journalist Ram Kamal Mukherjee unravels the enigma and stigma surrounding Sanju Baba.

There can be no last word on Sanjay Dutt. Ever. Even as he walks a free man after more than three decades of prison terms and controversies, Dutt remains a classic case study in all that defines the ‘star’ system in Bollywood—an industry known for its deep-rooted sense of entitlement. However, there is one question that dominates: Who is the real Sanjay Dutt?

Is he a man who has been ‘wronged by the media’, as his friend and filmmaker Rajkumar Hirani wants everyone to believe? Is he a son who could never recover from his mother’s death? Is he a son whose father’s political leanings made him an easy target? Or is he a myth, created by a consortium of film journalists, industry insiders, political fiends and adversaries?

Delving deep into both the man and his circumstances, Sanjay Dutt: One Man, Many Lives tells the uncut, untold and uncensored story of Sanjay Balraj Dutt. What emerges is an account—as much about one man’s laudable efforts to keep reinventing himself, as it is about his privileges.

Privileges that were seldom earned and always taken for granted.

This is the closest anyone can ever come to understanding Sanju Baba.

My view:

After watching the movie 'Sanju', I had wanted to know more details about the man who was considered wrong. To be honest, when all of this had transpired, I was small enough to not understand any of it. And now that I had the opportunity to read what had happened, I did not want to let go of it. Sanjay Dutt is one of the most controversial characters in the Bollywood industry. People are not yet clear on whether to talk good or bad about him. But one thing is for sure that, he has remained a topic of discussion for many years and is sure to remain one in the coming years as well.

'Sanjay Dutt: One Man, Many Lives' by Ram Kamal Mukherjee is a biopic of none other than the famous Sanjay Dutt or Sanju Baba, as we know him. It consists of all the details of Dutt's life, from his friends and education to his acting and acting career. It consists of all the ups and downs Dutt has faced in his life and about all those who had been by his side and helped him. It also shows the caring and emotional side of Dutt, with his mother Nargis as well as his daughter.

In 200 pages, Ram Kamal Mukherjee has stated the facts of Dutt's life in an unbiased opinion. He talks about both the good and the bad things Dutt had brought. He also mentions a lot about his father Sunil Dutt and how his relationship with Sanjay Dutt was. It's almost like the movie 'Sanju' with the same tagline as well. Both his personal and professional lives have been discussed as well. One would be able to get much information about Sanjay Dutt which the media often conceals to keep a biased look. Indian media always tries to share a biased opinion due to which Sanjay Dutt suffered much more than he deserved. However, with this book that is not the case. The author has tried his best to provide an unbiased opinion without giving his own views on the matter.

The language in which the author has written makes it easy for anyone to go through it. However, the one drawback of the book is that few things about Dutt's life have already been outed to the media at that time. So the ones who were following every tabloid, magazine, newspaper, and news, would already be aware of it.

I do believe that the book is an interesting read and will be able to give a different perspective on Dutt's life. Yes, he had done a few wrong things. Yes, he had made mistakes. But who doesn't? Every one of us is human and prone to committing mistakes. But the difference lies in whether we accept it and try to amend or just move on with our lives without any remorse.

Overall Rating:4/5