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Sanjay Dutt’s Bollywood Journey- From Rocky To Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster 3
Sanjay Dutt is easily in one of his career’s best phases right now. Despite the failure of his comeback film, Bhoomi, he returned with a bang with Tigmanshu Dhulia’s Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster 3. Post his stint as a dreaded gangster in the recently released royal family drama, he will now be seen in some really big films such as Torbaaz, Kalank and Panipat. Additionally, his very own biopic, the Ranbir Kapoor-starrer Sanju has turned out to be a MASSIVE success in terms of box office collections.
He made his debut with his father Sunil Dutt’s directorial, Rocky, in 1981. The film, that released a little over 37 years ago on the 8th of May, made Sanjay Dutt hugely popular among the youth and he began his journey towards stardom. Have a look at a video that showcases his most memorable and iconic roles of all time:-
And now, as the original rock star of Bollywood will be celebrating his 59th birthday today, we decided to write something on his best performances to date:-
1. Naam (1986)
He may have become a star after Rocky, but it was Mahesh Bhatt’s Naam that made him an actor. Sanjay Dutt’s portrayal of an ordinary man sucked into the world of crime is still considered as his most moving performance yet.
2. Saajan (1991)
A shy, soft-spoken poet named Aman, rechristened as Sagar, Sanjay Dutt’s character in this musical blockbuster oozed purity & simplicity in every frame. But the scene where he vents out his anger and anguish against God for his physical disability was his best in the film.
3. Khalnayak (1993)
This Subhash Ghai directorial saw Sanjay Dutt as a notorious, unkempt and unabashed outlaw, Ballu, who celebrated being a villain. The song ‘Nayak Nahin Khalnayak Hoon Main’ became a runaway hit and so did Dutt’s performance. Seldom did he think the song would echo in his real life as well. It was only after this film’s release the actor’s world turned upside down and he was accused in the 1993 Bombay Blasts.
4. Vaastav-The Reality (1999)
When Sanjay Dutt’s career was witnessing a decaying graph, Mahesh Manjrekar gave him a character that nobody expected would become immortal. Just like Naam, Dutt’s character, Raghunath Namdev Shivalkhar, is forced into the one-way street of the underworld. His journey and transformation from a simpleton Raghunath to a sinister Raghu may have been heartbreaking for his family, but overwhelming for the audiences. And this was the only film for which Sanjay Dutt won the Filmfare Award for the Best Actor.
5. Munna Bhai M.B.B.S (2003)
Murli Prasad Sharma, the name itself suggests its owner would be equally submissive, but it was the complete opposite. Sanjay Dutt was a goon here as well, but a rather lovable one, who insisted he wasn’t a gunda but a social worker. His tireless and amusing attempts to become a doctor made Munna Bhai M.B.B.S an iconic comedy and Sanjay Dutt was renamed from Raghu to Munna Bhai.
6. Agneepath (2012)
Unlike the Kancha Cheena of the original Agneepath, who was dapper and debonair, Sanjay Dutt’s Kancha was frightening and filthy. It was helped that the terror of the character was ably complemented by the man-mountain physique of Sanjay Dutt. My favorite bit of Kancha was the fact that despite oppressing the whole village of Mandwa single-handedly, he himself was scared of something most of the people admire- Mirrors. Made fun of for his hideousness and baldness, he could never stand the sight of a mirror, as that’s the only thing that never lies.
Hope Sanjay Dutt continues to surprise us and give us more wonderful performances as the ones mentioned above. And its high time we all saw Munna Bhai 3.
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