Sanjay Dutt has, in the past, been in the pool of controversies. The actor has come a long way in his career and is flourishing well by the day. Sanjay has many big movies on his plate which are helmed under the big banners, including his upcoming multis starrer Kalank. Last year, filmmaker Rajkumar Hirani made a record-breaking project Sanju, which was a huge box-office hit. The movie was based on the life of Sanjay Dutt and while many fans loved the film, there was a certain section of the audience that thought it was an attempt to whitewash Sanjay’s controversial image. #MeToo Movement: Sanjay Dutt Defends Director Rajkumar Hirani Against Sexual Misconduct Allegations.

The film essayed the actor’s relationship with his parents - Sunil Dutt and Nargis Dutt, his drug addiction, his affairs and the time he was imprisoned and his name in the 1993 Bombay blasts. Sanju starred Ranbir Kapoor in and as Sanju, and he even won the Best Actor Award. The movie did big numbers as well.

However, knowing the friendship between Rajkumar and Sanjay, it comes as no surprise that many wondered if it was another PR stunt! Talking about this in an interview with DNA, Sanjay said, “I was extremely flattered, proud and humbled to see a biopic on me. It means I must have had a crazy life. Everyone knows I have overcome all the odds and come back. I think it’s a good story and Raju Hirani was the right person to direct it. It’s a sensitive issue.” Sanjay Dutt Dismisses Rumours About Contesting Lok Sabha Elections 2019.

When further probed, the actor said, “I’m aware that a lot of people said it was an exercise in whitewashing. Frankly, it doesn’t matter. No one spends over Rs 50-60 crore to whitewash anyone’s image. My ‘whitewashing’ happened when the Supreme Court gave me a clean chit —  saying I am not a terrorist,” adding, “Also, if the film didn’t have an element of truth, it wouldn’t have gone on to do a business of Rs 334.57 crore Surely, something in it struck a chord with the audience.”

Sanjay Dutt is currently all geared up for his upcoming Abhishek Verman film Kalank. The movie stars Varun Dhawan, Alia Bhatt, Aditya Roy Kapur, Sonakshi Sinha, and Madhuri Dixit as the leads. The movie is slated to hit the theatres on April 17.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 05, 2019 03:50 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).