His life has been nothing short of a roller coaster. But amid these problems, he delivered spectacular performances as an actor, making countless fans. Sanjay Dutt’s strong screen performance, flawless acting, and excellent dialogue delivery have kept the critics talking.
So, let’s look at the 7 Best Performances of Sanjay Dutt that can give you a perfect weekend watchlist-
1. Saajan (1991)
Sanjay Dutt began his career as a romantic Hero, and Saajan is one of his films in this genre. Simultaneously starring Madhuri Dixit and Salman Khan, it was the highest-grossing film of that year.
The plot is based on two brothers, Aman (a poet) and Akash, a carefree personality, and a social worker. They fall in love with the same girl, Pooja, who eventually chooses to be with Aman and loves him.
Sanjay Dutt plays the role of a serious person who writes funny poetry and is ready to sacrifice love for his brother. He played the role with complete conviction, opposite to his popular heroic or action-packed characters.
2. Khalnayak (1993)
You will watch a few heroes who agree to play the villain role in one or another film. One such actor is Sanjay Dutt, who not only played a villainous character but also aced it like no one else could have done.
It is based on a prison guard, played by Madhuri Dixit, who poses as a street dancer to catch an escaped criminal. She does this for his police inspector Boyfriend (Jackie Shroff). In the process, she realizes that he is a good man, and poverty leads him to the criminal world, thus deciding to turn him into a good person.
Dutt played the villainous criminal shaped by poverty, deceit, and misunderstanding. He aced this extreme character with his acting skills, and the audience admired this antagonist on screen. Its catchy songs like ‘Choli ke Peeche kya Hai’ became a sensation in the 90s.
3. Vaastav: The Reality (1999)
This Mahesh Manjrekar directorial made Sanjay Dutt win his first Filmfare Best Actor award. It loosely follows the story of an underworld gangster played by Sanjay Dutt, showcasing his journey to becoming a goon, thriving in the crime world, and his subsequent death. The film wonderfully describes the hidden realities of the Underworld.
He performed the role intensely, driving the audience into his story. Some of the dialogue from this movie became popular among the masses, and the film became a massive hit. Also, the critics were left impressed, and they termed his performance ‘terrific.’
4. Mission Kashmir (2000)
The thriller movie Mission Kashmir shows Sanjay Dutt in a different light, where his character has multiple shades. Despite playing a supporting role, he made his presence felt throughout the movie as a parallel lead.
Set in the mystical land of Kashmir, the film follows the story of Altaaf, whose parents are killed during a police operation. He is adopted by the policeman behind the plan. Learning the truth, he seeks revenge. He is manipulated by a terrorist to use him as a medium to create Hindu-Muslim riots in Kashmir. The former realizes it foils the plan and reconciles with the police officer.
Sanjay Dutt plays the character of a policeman who has lost his son and wife and is embroiled in a conflict with his adopted son. He is fantastic at playing the role of an agitated father, husband, and person filled with remorse.
5. Munna Bhai MBBS (2003)
One of the career-defining performances by Sanjay Dutt has been Munna Bhai MBBS. The name became synonymous with Dutt, who proved her versatility with his comic role.
The story is based on Munna, a local goon who sets out on a journey to fulfill his father’s dream of becoming a doctor. During this process, he teaches others about the essence of love, life, and happiness.
The film won the national award for Best Film and re-established Sanjay Dutt’s career. Also, it won the Critics Award for Best Movie at Filmfare. Everyone began to imitate the dialogue, style, and language of Munna Bhai, creating a rage among people.
6. Lage Raho Munna Bhai (2006)
Keep going, Munna Bhai; as the title suggests, it is the second film in the massively successful Munna Bhai franchise. This satirical comedy-drama witnessed Dutt reprising his role as an underworld Don.
In this film, Munna Bhai begins to see the spirit of Mahatma Gandhi, who talks with him. Taking his cues and suggestions, Munna Bhai preaches the lessons of Gandhism or ‘Gandhigiri’ as referred to in this film.
Similar to the first one, it became a critical and commercial success. Dutt recreated the magical presence of Munna Bhai on screen with his acting skills and won him the Best Actor nomination at Filmfare. His comic timing, ability to generate humor, and pairing with Arshad Varsi, his sidekick in the film, have become iconic over the years.
7. Agneepath (2012)
Presenting another example of his versatility, Sanjay Dutt returned to playing a villain for this reboot version of the 1990 film.
The film is about Vijay, whose father is trapped in a wrong allegation and killed. This is done by Kancha Cheena, a ruthless crime lord, for his criminal motives. Vijay witnesses his father’s killing, which significantly impacts him, and he grows up to seek revenge for it by using Rauf Lala.
The ruthless character of Kancha Cheena is played by Dutt, who gives a solid performance, making you hate every bit of him. Moreover, Sanjay Dutt has a unique and intense look in this violent, action-packed film. The movie was a big box office success, unlike the 1990 film, and had good music like the ‘Abhi Mujh mein kahin’ song.
Wrapping up,
An exceptional actor always captivates the hearts of audiences with his skills, and Sanjay Dutt is one of those. He has starred in diverse films, playing completely different roles yet making audiences believe in them every time.
The films mentioned above are like the moon in the star-filled sky of Dutt’s career. His potential as an actor has been undermined despite his decades-long career, which deserves the proper appreciation from his audiences as he continues to entertain them with new experiments on-screen.
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