Sanju: The Rajkumar Hirani directorial will hit screens on June 29.
Dia Mirza is all set to make a comeback to the big screen after a gap of seven years. The actor, who will be seen next in Sanju, says she identifies with the kind of cinema Rajkumar Hirani represents, which is one of the reasons why she agreed to be a part of the project.
During an interaction with Indianexpress.com, Dia revealed that she was aware that a biopic on Sanjay Dutt’s life was in the making, but was taken aback when Hirani approached her for the part of Sanjay’s wife Maanyata Dutt.
“The kind of cinema that Rajkumar Hirani makes is so beautiful, so poignant, how can you ever say no to him? It has been a privilege. That said, I knew that Raju sir (filmmaker Rajkumar Hirani) and Abhijat (Abhijat Joshi, the scriptwriter) were working on a script based on Sanju’s sir’s life. I was intrigued to discover how the whole thing would turn out. And of course, I had hoped that I would have a part to play in the movie. Naturally, I got very excited when I actually got a call from Raju sir a year-and-a-half ago. I picked up the call and heard his voice saying, ‘Mirze, will you come to the office and hear the script?’ When I finally heard the script, I was stunned by how much I didn’t know (about Sanjay Dutt’s life).”
Dia has never essayed a ‘real’ person on the big screen. So how different is the energy on the sets of a biopic versus a feature film?
“The energy on the sets of a biopic is quite different from that of a feature film primarily because we have at our hands the story of real people. There’s truth in the kind of circumstances that you are depicting. So while filming Sanju, there were a number of moments of pure disbelief, of amazement, of sadness,” the actor revealed.
While a lot has been written about the manner in which lead actor Ranbir Kapoor approached the film, not many know about how Dia’s approach. Dia said that she relied on the guidance of Rajkumar Hirani and Abhijat Joshi.
“Both Raju Sir and Abhijat have devoted over two years of their lives researching for the script. And as an actor, I completely relied on their guidance. The main aim was to have a deeper understanding of Maanyata in Sanju sir’s life as a wife, as a woman, and as a mother and then to try and recreate those emotions on film. I also visited some videos from that chapter in the story, and the costume and make-up department further helped the process,” Dia said.
And here comes Dia Mirza as Maanayata, someone whose stood by #Sanju through thick and thin. #RanbirKapoor @deespeak #RajkumarHiraniFilms @foxstarhindi @VVCFilms pic.twitter.com/ctEdkkt7n5
— Rajkumar Hirani (@RajkumarHirani) June 7, 2018
Interestingly, Dia has previously collaborated with Sanjay Dutt on a few films, including the likes of Parineeta and Lage Raho Munnabhai. And in Sanju, she plays the actor’s wife Maanyata Dutt. Dia confessed that the experience was other-worldly.
“It’s an amazing circle, from sharing screen space with Sanju sir to playing his wife in a film, it’s been surreal. And he has always been wonderful to me despite the obstacles that he was facing during those times; there was the court case and the impending jail sentence. But he never allowed any of that to come into his workspace. Some of the most special films of my life has been with Sanju sir, be it Lage Raho Munnabhai, Parineeta, or Shootout at Lokhandwala.”
Actors are generally apprehensive about the final outcome, and even more so in the case of a biopic. When asked about Maanyata’s response to her performance, Dia said, “I don’t think Maanyata has seen the film, but I truly hope that she will be happy with my performance when she does see it.”
With Sanju comes a couple of firsts for Dia. Sanju is the first biopic the actor has been associated with, and it is also the first time she has worked with Ranbir Kapoor. And it looks like the actor had quite the time working with the young gun of Bollywood.
Sanju was first arrested in 1993. In prison for 18 months. Could not get bail. A recreation of that time. #RanbirKapoor #RajkumarHiraniFilms @VVCFilms @foxstarhindi pic.twitter.com/JOL2W3pQaO
— Rajkumar Hirani (@RajkumarHirani) May 12, 2018
“Ranbir is easily one of the finest actors of our time. He comes to the set with such an ease, and he makes everything look so simple, effortless. The most beautiful quality about Ranbir is how alive he is when a scene is being played out. There were times when it was difficult to tell Ranbir apart from Sanju sir, it was quite phenomenal.”
So what lies ahead for the actor?
“I truly hope this film will translate into more opportunities in cinema for me. If you have the gumption to say no to a lot of projects, people, after a period of time, assume that you have stopped working, which is as far from the truth as you can get. I want to work on good films with good people. The exciting news is that a few interesting things are happening on the production front. We are getting good offers for web series. As of now, life represents a lot of potential and possibilities about which I am extremely happy.”