Sanjay Dutt, the original ‘Khalnayak’ of Bollywood is always in the news, be it for good things or controversies. But there’s one common thing that almost everyone says in the industry about Sanjay Dutt. That is, ‘Behind that rough and body and structure, there’s a child inside that soul which only few can understand.’
This is probably the point of inspiration which noted author and filmmaker, Ram Kamal Mukherjee picked up as he decided to work on another book on Sanjay Dutt. Ram Kamal Mukherjee happens to be India’s ‘First Powerbrand Journalist’ which is a unique feat in itself and not just that, he is the only director in India after the legendary Satyajit Ray, whose short film released on a television platform, something that happened in the industry after 38 years. Ram Kamal Mukherjee’s debut directorial venture, ‘Cakewalk’ starring Esha Deol Takhtani became the first short film in India to be associated with Viacom 18 and INOX.
Ram Kamal announced his latest book ‘Sanjay Dutt – One Man, Many Lives’ which is published by Rupa Publishing. As per Ram Kamal, the book deals with the entire journey of Sanjay Dutt and also gives an insight towards his inner world.
It is to be noted that this is Ram Kamal’s next book after the famous award-winning biography, ‘Beyond the Dreamgirl’ on Bollywood legend Hema Malini.
On asking Ram Kamal, he said, “This is an unauthorized biography, and I was writing this book immediately after I released my book on Hema Malini. This hard cover edition is an analytical book on the journey of India’s first star kid who lived his life like a true rockstar. I have met Sanju occasionally as a journalist at various events, and to be honest I don’t have any personal connection with him. But what intrigued me the most about him is that he was probably the most misunderstood star from our generation. I worked for almost two years on this. During my research I realized that behind the tough biceps and deadly eyes hides a childlike soul, this book tries to tell that story.”
On being asked about how the possible reaction to the book will be as there’s already a book in the market on Sanjay Dutt written by Yaseer Usman, Ram said and we quote, “This book is more of an analysis, a case study. I am not claiming to be Sanjay Dutt’s biographer, but through his life I have captured the changing scenario of Bollywood. I have refrained from publishing heresay and gossips, most facts are supported by either his own interviews or facts published by reputed media. We are not trying to judge Sanjay, we are just telling you a story, uncensored,” says Ram Kamal.
The book has some rare images of Sanjay Dutt from the archives of Stardust. Being the former editor of Stardust magazine, his research materials are mostly from the magazine. “I am thankful to Mr. Nari Hira for allowing me to access their 40 years old archive. Without the resource this would be nearly impossible to execute.”
The book as we are informed comprises of 190 pages divided into 13 chapters each. It will be really interesting to see if Sanjay Dutt reads Ram Kamal’s book and if he reads it, what would be his reaction?
