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Sanjay Dutt: The Crazy Untold Story of Bollywood’s Bad Boy
India’s top Bollywood biographer tells the uncensored story of Sanjay’s roller-coaster life – from the tragic deaths of both his mother and his first wife to the time he smuggled heroin into the US and from the painful rehab he had to go through to his curious phone calls to gangster Chhota Shakeel.
248 pages, Hardcover
Published March 16, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
April 9, 2018
Sanjay Dutt's life is a Mahesh Bhatt film on a Yash Chopra budget. A flawed hero who goes on a path of self-destruction and eventually redemption, though not before he and his loved ones have been dragged through hell. Except that it happens all over... New York, Mauritius, Germany and Bombay.
The book does a phenomenal job of putting together this crazy life through the fairly large published material on him. Where it makes a difference is the amount of hitherto unknown (or forgotten) stuff it covers.
A striking part of the book is the complete lack of judgement with which it is written. Sanjay's qualities and frailties are both shown dispassionately and somehow that heightens the impact manifold. For example, the sense of doom I felt when Sanjay was feeding his drug addiction while his mother was in a coma couldn't have come if the author had tried to embellish the events with his views. The starkness hits you much harder.
And despite that, the book makes you think about your own shortcomings. All of us have been indisciplined. We have failed our parents. We have been unfairly targeted. Our good intentions have backfired. And we have tried to blank out reality. This telling of the Sanjay Dutt story reminds us why he is loved so much despite making a slew of terrible life choices... We have all lived parts of his life in our own ways. To me, that's the biggest success of the book.
The book does a phenomenal job of putting together this crazy life through the fairly large published material on him. Where it makes a difference is the amount of hitherto unknown (or forgotten) stuff it covers.
A striking part of the book is the complete lack of judgement with which it is written. Sanjay's qualities and frailties are both shown dispassionately and somehow that heightens the impact manifold. For example, the sense of doom I felt when Sanjay was feeding his drug addiction while his mother was in a coma couldn't have come if the author had tried to embellish the events with his views. The starkness hits you much harder.
And despite that, the book makes you think about your own shortcomings. All of us have been indisciplined. We have failed our parents. We have been unfairly targeted. Our good intentions have backfired. And we have tried to blank out reality. This telling of the Sanjay Dutt story reminds us why he is loved so much despite making a slew of terrible life choices... We have all lived parts of his life in our own ways. To me, that's the biggest success of the book.
April 2, 2018
Sanjay Dutt: The Crazy Untold Story of Bollywood’s Bad Boy by Yasser Usman is a detailed, blow by blow account of the life of Sanjay Dutt right from his childhood. The author, being a award winning TV journalist, has done a fantastic job of describing the challenging and difficult life the Bollywood star has led so far.
As mentioned earlier, the book begins with Sanjay Dutt ‘s childhood, with a short background of each of his parents. The writing is absorbing but the events and tragedies that take place one after the other in the actor’s life is what keeps the reader engaged, albeit with melancholy.
I signed up for the review as soon as I knew about the book because I have always been curious about the actor’s life. And since I used to not follow his case much earlier, I thought this was the perfect chance to get to know about it all.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book which is poignant at times, and at times, unbelievable. Sanjay Dutt has always carried a bad boy image with him. The book, however, isn’t one sided, being very forthright with its narration. Sanjay Dutt is what he is and it is left to the readers to form an opinion.
As for me, now I have a renowned respect for the actor, especially because of the way he emerged after the tragedies he faced. He kept trying to please people and be likable. It is sad but it only goes to show how strong each one of us are, unknown to ourselves.
In short, a fascinating and totally absorbing read that one must read if interested in Bollywood happenings.
*** This book was sent to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. ***
As mentioned earlier, the book begins with Sanjay Dutt ‘s childhood, with a short background of each of his parents. The writing is absorbing but the events and tragedies that take place one after the other in the actor’s life is what keeps the reader engaged, albeit with melancholy.
I signed up for the review as soon as I knew about the book because I have always been curious about the actor’s life. And since I used to not follow his case much earlier, I thought this was the perfect chance to get to know about it all.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book which is poignant at times, and at times, unbelievable. Sanjay Dutt has always carried a bad boy image with him. The book, however, isn’t one sided, being very forthright with its narration. Sanjay Dutt is what he is and it is left to the readers to form an opinion.
As for me, now I have a renowned respect for the actor, especially because of the way he emerged after the tragedies he faced. He kept trying to please people and be likable. It is sad but it only goes to show how strong each one of us are, unknown to ourselves.
In short, a fascinating and totally absorbing read that one must read if interested in Bollywood happenings.
*** This book was sent to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. ***
April 21, 2018
Let me clarify that I am not a fan of Sanjay Dutt. Neither am I now, nor was I ever, a fan of Rajesh Khanna or Rekha (the two Bollywood stars on whom Yasser Usman has written his previous books).
What drew me to Rajesh Khanna's and then Rekha's story was the thesis of Yasser Usman's books which reveal their real life behind all the glamour. With Rajesh Khanna it was his loneliness and the constant need to be adored by those around him. With Rekha it was her determination to succeed in a male dominated industry despite being unloved as a child and abused as a teenage actress.
It was for this same reason that I was compelled to pick up the author's latest book on Sanjay Dutt. This time the thesis he chose was that of a pampered child who lost his way and fell into bad habits and even worse company.
Sanjay Dutt's life has been full of controversies and the author refrains from providing an opinion on any of it. This is not a study of his cinematic performances, nor has he written a fanboy account of a man whom he admires for maintaining his straightforwardness and honesty in an industry built entirely on PR. Instead, he simply presents the facts of his journey which he has meticulously researched and painstakingly referenced in the footnotes.
This unauthorized biography is by no means illegal, despite all the controversy the media built around it at the time of its release. It is simply a narrative of the actor's life, starting from the time he was born to illustrious parents, and is a revelation into the how, when, where and why of things going downhill.
It is for this narrative that I, no longer the film obsessed teenager I once was, find myself unable to resist reading these biographies 'as written by Yasser Usman'.
What drew me to Rajesh Khanna's and then Rekha's story was the thesis of Yasser Usman's books which reveal their real life behind all the glamour. With Rajesh Khanna it was his loneliness and the constant need to be adored by those around him. With Rekha it was her determination to succeed in a male dominated industry despite being unloved as a child and abused as a teenage actress.
It was for this same reason that I was compelled to pick up the author's latest book on Sanjay Dutt. This time the thesis he chose was that of a pampered child who lost his way and fell into bad habits and even worse company.
Sanjay Dutt's life has been full of controversies and the author refrains from providing an opinion on any of it. This is not a study of his cinematic performances, nor has he written a fanboy account of a man whom he admires for maintaining his straightforwardness and honesty in an industry built entirely on PR. Instead, he simply presents the facts of his journey which he has meticulously researched and painstakingly referenced in the footnotes.
This unauthorized biography is by no means illegal, despite all the controversy the media built around it at the time of its release. It is simply a narrative of the actor's life, starting from the time he was born to illustrious parents, and is a revelation into the how, when, where and why of things going downhill.
It is for this narrative that I, no longer the film obsessed teenager I once was, find myself unable to resist reading these biographies 'as written by Yasser Usman'.
June 12, 2018
Thanks to the upcoming movie 'Sanju', my interest was piqued on reading more about the life of Sanjay Dutt. I did like quite a few of his movies, but am not necessary his die hard fan. Admiration for Sanjay was just a part of the boy's club in our younger days, for his muscled body, nothing else.
There was a lot of criticism from Sanjay Dutt himself about this particular book. Only if he had read it, he would have realised that this book is not passing any judgements on his character or life. This is the best part of this book. It does not judge Sanjay Dutt but just puts the story in front of you.
One of the very well written and balanced biographies I have read in the recent past. If you a Bollywood fan, you must read this one
There was a lot of criticism from Sanjay Dutt himself about this particular book. Only if he had read it, he would have realised that this book is not passing any judgements on his character or life. This is the best part of this book. It does not judge Sanjay Dutt but just puts the story in front of you.
One of the very well written and balanced biographies I have read in the recent past. If you a Bollywood fan, you must read this one
November 14, 2018
Sanju baba... Call him irresponsible, immature, foolish, attracted to everything that was wrong, a womaniser, selfish...He is all this BUT he IS NOT A TERRORIST.
🙏
🙏
🙏
This biographical book by Yasser Usmaan reads like a Bollywood movie... There is this naive young boy who has almost a death wish, he gets involved in drugs, alcohol, womanising, dabbles with the underworld and does some foolish things that almost destroy him and his family. He has a father who stands by him through thick and thin, who till he died supported him, but could never vocally express his immense love for his first born. So many twists and turns in his life, that someone who doesn't know the backstory might even think this was just a work of fiction. But sadly, it isn't.
Such is the life of Sanju baba... Full of crazy, untold events and acts, that were reckless and dangerous and almost finished him... But like a phoenix that rises out of its own ashes, today we have Sanju baba...calmer, trying to act responsibly, father to two beautiful kids and husband to a loving wife.
💖
❤️
💓
What makes this book an absolute pleasure to read is the way it's written. Yasser Usmaan highlights the little nitty gritties of Sanjay's life and his improbable actions... Laying bare everything that is there to see. Not even in one single place is the author condemning or judgemental or defending Baba's actions or thoughts or feelings. He writes all that happened and how and why... And while you do feel sad for the unfortunate circumstances in Sanjay's life, some due to his own actions, there are instances where you really feel like going up there and shaking this grown ass man and asking him to grow up!
🤔
😐
😕
Anyways all's well that ends well. Today Sanjay is finally home and free of the cases against him that ran for 23 years too long :-(.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Hopefully this time, he will steer clear of any foolish misadventures that will jeopardise his and his family's future.
.
.
.
.
.
.
#bookstagram #bookishlove #bookreviews #sanjaydutt #yasserusman #biopic #lifeisstrangerthanfiction #reelvsreallife #sanjubaba #sanjubabaisback
🙏
🙏
🙏
This biographical book by Yasser Usmaan reads like a Bollywood movie... There is this naive young boy who has almost a death wish, he gets involved in drugs, alcohol, womanising, dabbles with the underworld and does some foolish things that almost destroy him and his family. He has a father who stands by him through thick and thin, who till he died supported him, but could never vocally express his immense love for his first born. So many twists and turns in his life, that someone who doesn't know the backstory might even think this was just a work of fiction. But sadly, it isn't.
Such is the life of Sanju baba... Full of crazy, untold events and acts, that were reckless and dangerous and almost finished him... But like a phoenix that rises out of its own ashes, today we have Sanju baba...calmer, trying to act responsibly, father to two beautiful kids and husband to a loving wife.
💖
❤️
💓
What makes this book an absolute pleasure to read is the way it's written. Yasser Usmaan highlights the little nitty gritties of Sanjay's life and his improbable actions... Laying bare everything that is there to see. Not even in one single place is the author condemning or judgemental or defending Baba's actions or thoughts or feelings. He writes all that happened and how and why... And while you do feel sad for the unfortunate circumstances in Sanjay's life, some due to his own actions, there are instances where you really feel like going up there and shaking this grown ass man and asking him to grow up!
🤔
😐
😕
Anyways all's well that ends well. Today Sanjay is finally home and free of the cases against him that ran for 23 years too long :-(.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Hopefully this time, he will steer clear of any foolish misadventures that will jeopardise his and his family's future.
.
.
.
.
.
.
#bookstagram #bookishlove #bookreviews #sanjaydutt #yasserusman #biopic #lifeisstrangerthanfiction #reelvsreallife #sanjubaba #sanjubabaisback
April 15, 2018
Neither a fan-boy account, nor is it a critique of actor's life and his choices. The author sets up the entire scene in front of us, in a very vivid form yet not attaching his own emotions, his own thoughts or conclusions to it. That makes the chapters even more engaging. The book takes us on a journey from the known face Sanjay Dutt to a more soft person, that only someone who heavily researched on the star would know; – starting from his parents, how they met, sanjay’s birth, his adolescence, boarding school, the time he smuggled heroin into the United States and went on a drunken shooting spree at his Pali Hill home after his break-up with Tina Munim to his curious phone calls to gangster Chhota Shakeel ,is embroilment in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts, memorable Munnabhai MBBS – and the exile that ultimately made him a reformed goon. But one thing is for certain: there will never be another Sanjay Dutt, a simple straight shooter in an image obsessed Bollywood. And by the time you finish reading the book, the bad boy, will turn good in your head, because just as Yasser Usman mentioned in his introduction: “he (Sanjay) is unhesitatingly honest and forthright about his mistakes and goof-ups. Unlike most film stars, Sanjay has always been an open book”.
The author has crafted a beautiful life story by piecing together a narrative based on interviews of film industry insiders, police staff, lawyers, archivists, etc which is captivating and manages to hold the reader's attention. However, it mostly says what is already known to the world and it is like the author merged it all together in form of a book without much ‘untold material involved’. I judged the book by its title. I couldn’t have been more wrong. Neither was it ‘untold’, nor was it the story of a ‘bad boy’. Nonetheless, it was captivating and an informative read; thus ‘twas worth the time!
The author has crafted a beautiful life story by piecing together a narrative based on interviews of film industry insiders, police staff, lawyers, archivists, etc which is captivating and manages to hold the reader's attention. However, it mostly says what is already known to the world and it is like the author merged it all together in form of a book without much ‘untold material involved’. I judged the book by its title. I couldn’t have been more wrong. Neither was it ‘untold’, nor was it the story of a ‘bad boy’. Nonetheless, it was captivating and an informative read; thus ‘twas worth the time!
June 5, 2018
Between this book and the upcoming movie Sanjay Dutt (or his publicists more likely after reading the book) positions himself as someone who accepts he's a general bad guy and has done most things he's accused of, besides terrorism. In fact he says so in as many words in the movie's first trailer.
There is very little that endears him to the reader after he was packed away to boarding school by a strict Sunil Dutt. That episode was indeed heartbreaking, and I felt for the little boy being forced to leave his family against his wishes. But that doesn't justify the rest of his life and the decisions he's made. The entire "Sanju Baba has a heart of gold" myth that Bollywood and the Bollywood media feeds us may be true from the way he treats some people but his complete neglect of his own family throughout his life doesn't make you want to know him better in the hope that you can look beyond his obvious faults.
The title is honest as the story is indeed crazy, and it's a miracle he's still there as one of the leading men of Bollywood. I used to give him the benefit of doubt as a human being, the book ensures that can't be the case anymore.
There is very little that endears him to the reader after he was packed away to boarding school by a strict Sunil Dutt. That episode was indeed heartbreaking, and I felt for the little boy being forced to leave his family against his wishes. But that doesn't justify the rest of his life and the decisions he's made. The entire "Sanju Baba has a heart of gold" myth that Bollywood and the Bollywood media feeds us may be true from the way he treats some people but his complete neglect of his own family throughout his life doesn't make you want to know him better in the hope that you can look beyond his obvious faults.
The title is honest as the story is indeed crazy, and it's a miracle he's still there as one of the leading men of Bollywood. I used to give him the benefit of doubt as a human being, the book ensures that can't be the case anymore.
December 7, 2018
The book tends to sympathize and glorify him much like the movie 'Sanju'. Sanjay has had a difficult childhood, was a drug addict for over a decade for which he had to go to rehab, cheated not only on ALL his wives, but also on his girlfriends. Not only that, he shamelessly said in an interview how his 'daughter wanted to be an actress and he wanted to break her legs'. Sadly, his complete neglect of his own family throughout his life doesn't make you want to know him further.
I honestly think he is problematic and toxic af.
The book, however, is a fast-paced, easy and engaging read.
I honestly think he is problematic and toxic af.
The book, however, is a fast-paced, easy and engaging read.
July 27, 2018
The Crazy Untold Story Of Bollywood’s Bad Boy -SANJAY DUTT (#juggernautbooks) 📖 Review.
After RAJESH KHANNA & REKHA The Trilogy By #YasserUsman Is Completed With This Latest Unauthorised Biography On SANJAY DUTT-The Crazy Untold Story Of Bollywood’s Bad Boy. What Takes This Biography To The Next Level Is That Unlike His Previous Subjects This Time Around The Author Actually Got To Interact With SANJU Baba And Get Some Meaningful Insights Into His Chequered Life Which Was Sadly Missing In His Previous Two Biographies.
While His Biography On RAJESH KHANNA Was Penned Only After The Phenomenon Stars Death Getting REKHA To Talk About Her Life & Times In Bollywood Was A Foregone Conclusion So The Author Just Could Not Get Across To Madam RE. But This Time Around He Proved Lucky To Interact With SUNJU Though To Be Fair SANJAY DUTT Seemed Unaware What Those Interviews Were For.
The Unauthorised Biography Of SANJAY DUTT Makes Compelling Reading Even Though Most Of It Has Been Reproduced Earlier In Film Glossies And In-depth Interviews But Put Together In A Book Makes It Stand Out..The Fact That SANJAY DUTT Is Hopping Mad At The Author & Publisher Is Not So Much Due To The Content But The Timing That Has Stolen The Thunder From “SANJU” The Film That’s To Release Next Week..The Timing Is At Crossroads And That Is What Has The Khalnayak Fuming As He Has Absolutely No Control Over The Book As He Had Over His Biopic And That Has Him Hopping Mad As A Wet Hen.
That Having Been Said One Must Hand It To YASSER USMAN That He Has Managed To Do What The Makers Of The Biopic Were Forced To Edit Out-The MADHURI DIXIT Factor..But In This Book The Author Minces No Words As He Explores MADHURI Alliance With SANJU WId The Same Brush As He Does His Relationships With Say TINA MUNIM, RATI AGNIHOTRI, REKHA & KIMI KATKAR.
All Said & Done This Unauthorised Biography Is Like A Verbal Trailer To The Biopic & What You May Not Find In The Movie Can Be Found In-depth In This Unauthorised Biography...So Either Before Or After Viewing The Much Anticipated Movie This Book Is Definitely A Must Read!!
After RAJESH KHANNA & REKHA The Trilogy By #YasserUsman Is Completed With This Latest Unauthorised Biography On SANJAY DUTT-The Crazy Untold Story Of Bollywood’s Bad Boy. What Takes This Biography To The Next Level Is That Unlike His Previous Subjects This Time Around The Author Actually Got To Interact With SANJU Baba And Get Some Meaningful Insights Into His Chequered Life Which Was Sadly Missing In His Previous Two Biographies.
While His Biography On RAJESH KHANNA Was Penned Only After The Phenomenon Stars Death Getting REKHA To Talk About Her Life & Times In Bollywood Was A Foregone Conclusion So The Author Just Could Not Get Across To Madam RE. But This Time Around He Proved Lucky To Interact With SUNJU Though To Be Fair SANJAY DUTT Seemed Unaware What Those Interviews Were For.
The Unauthorised Biography Of SANJAY DUTT Makes Compelling Reading Even Though Most Of It Has Been Reproduced Earlier In Film Glossies And In-depth Interviews But Put Together In A Book Makes It Stand Out..The Fact That SANJAY DUTT Is Hopping Mad At The Author & Publisher Is Not So Much Due To The Content But The Timing That Has Stolen The Thunder From “SANJU” The Film That’s To Release Next Week..The Timing Is At Crossroads And That Is What Has The Khalnayak Fuming As He Has Absolutely No Control Over The Book As He Had Over His Biopic And That Has Him Hopping Mad As A Wet Hen.
That Having Been Said One Must Hand It To YASSER USMAN That He Has Managed To Do What The Makers Of The Biopic Were Forced To Edit Out-The MADHURI DIXIT Factor..But In This Book The Author Minces No Words As He Explores MADHURI Alliance With SANJU WId The Same Brush As He Does His Relationships With Say TINA MUNIM, RATI AGNIHOTRI, REKHA & KIMI KATKAR.
All Said & Done This Unauthorised Biography Is Like A Verbal Trailer To The Biopic & What You May Not Find In The Movie Can Be Found In-depth In This Unauthorised Biography...So Either Before Or After Viewing The Much Anticipated Movie This Book Is Definitely A Must Read!!
May 20, 2020
Desperate times need for desperate measures, but what if things are not so desperate and yet you fail to take control of your life, falling into an oblivion that no one can save you from. Well, this is exactly what I gathered from ‘Sanjay Dutt: The Crazy Untold Story of Bollywood's Bad Boy’, a biography by Yasser Usman on Bollywood’s very own khalnayak. The book is touted as an uncensored story of the star’s life and indeed, it is so.
To tell you the truth, I had always liked Sanjay as an actor. With the Dutt surname behind him, the entire ‘good boy turned rogue by circumstance’ thing seemed to be working out well for the actor. Add to that a Bollywood biopic named ‘Sanju’ by India’s top director Rajkumar Hirani that seemingly shows Sanjay in an extremely positive light, and the world seems to forget all about the Arms Act, his jail terms, his liaisons with underworld dons and his dalliances with the many leading ladies of his life.
This biography seems to absolve Sanjay Dutt of his innocent charade. If you look at all the television interviews, you will see an uninterested Dutt, trying earnestly to talk in the best way possible, and then massively failing to do so. The man cannot even say one sensible thing! Before I read this book, I thought of him as another star kid who just failed to grow up. But now, after looking at so many instances in his life where he could have been a responsible person, but chose not to do so, he is coming out as an entitled selfish human being who never saw others beyond him.
You will eventually see that the star son doesn’t learn from his mistakes, doesn’t take life seriously and doesn’t even respect those around him. Yasser Usman is an award winning TV journalist and he has written the biography with an acute sense of clarity that makes for an extremely interesting read.
Rated 4/5 🌟
To tell you the truth, I had always liked Sanjay as an actor. With the Dutt surname behind him, the entire ‘good boy turned rogue by circumstance’ thing seemed to be working out well for the actor. Add to that a Bollywood biopic named ‘Sanju’ by India’s top director Rajkumar Hirani that seemingly shows Sanjay in an extremely positive light, and the world seems to forget all about the Arms Act, his jail terms, his liaisons with underworld dons and his dalliances with the many leading ladies of his life.
This biography seems to absolve Sanjay Dutt of his innocent charade. If you look at all the television interviews, you will see an uninterested Dutt, trying earnestly to talk in the best way possible, and then massively failing to do so. The man cannot even say one sensible thing! Before I read this book, I thought of him as another star kid who just failed to grow up. But now, after looking at so many instances in his life where he could have been a responsible person, but chose not to do so, he is coming out as an entitled selfish human being who never saw others beyond him.
You will eventually see that the star son doesn’t learn from his mistakes, doesn’t take life seriously and doesn’t even respect those around him. Yasser Usman is an award winning TV journalist and he has written the biography with an acute sense of clarity that makes for an extremely interesting read.
Rated 4/5 🌟
September 21, 2018
This is the third book of Yasser Usman after "Rajesh Khanna: The Untold Story of India's First Superstar" and "Rekha: The Untold Story'. This book starts from Sanjay getting arrested because of his connection with Mumbai's 1993 bomb blast connection. Then from Chapter 2, the author starts talking about his childhood. The author tells how Sanjay started doing drugs before releasing his first film "Rocky".When Sanjay was 10 he used to smoke used cigarette butt thrown by his father Sunil Dutt in the garden. when Sunil found this, he sent Sanjay to Lawrence boarding school at Sanawar by the recommendation of by the then prime minister Indira Gandhi who was a close family friend of Dutt family. I found it very interesting that Sanjay's name was suggested by a person who took participation in Shama's(then famous popular film and culture Urdu magazine) name suggesting contest. The name suggested was Sunjay Kumar. Later it changed to Sanjay. The author tells how Sanjay got into the habit of taking drugs and how his relationship with Tina Munim, Rati Agnihotri, Madhuri Dixit, Richa Sharma, Rhea Pillai, and Manyata was?
In one incident in Jail Sanjay was so used to mosquitos that he would difference between dengue and malaria mosquitos. The author also tells how he did he meet Dawood and Anis Ibrahim? All and all its a book which tells about Sanjay from his childhood to being released from his Jail.
I liked the book. got to know few technical LAW terms.
In one incident in Jail Sanjay was so used to mosquitos that he would difference between dengue and malaria mosquitos. The author also tells how he did he meet Dawood and Anis Ibrahim? All and all its a book which tells about Sanjay from his childhood to being released from his Jail.
I liked the book. got to know few technical LAW terms.
April 28, 2019
Sanjay Dutt's private life has been a public spectacle. This book lays bare the man's personal demons, his many flaws and his redeeming qualities. While reading I felt there were two writers - the writing style was analytical, phrases and language were almost poetic and flowed smoothly up until the chapters that described his drug problems. I felt the writer was sharply critical, almost unsympathetic of his subject's weakness & shortcomings as a person unable to resist the temptation of drugs time and time again.
Cut to the chapters on Mr. Dutt's troubles with the law, the writing style suddenly changes as does the writer's attitude to his subject. The narration, adopting a factual tone, answers all questions except the 'why' - why did Mr. Dutt do what he did ? The writer of this part of the book treats his subject in accordance with the popular opinion - a naive man, caught in the wrong place at the wrong time.
The rest of the book is devoted to his many dalliances and it seemed to me that suddenly the writer was in a hurry to finish his book.
I quite enjoyed the first half, where the writer demystified the individual that is Sanjay Dutt and rationalized his actions. But the second half was comparatively a let down which is why I rate this book 3.5 *
Cut to the chapters on Mr. Dutt's troubles with the law, the writing style suddenly changes as does the writer's attitude to his subject. The narration, adopting a factual tone, answers all questions except the 'why' - why did Mr. Dutt do what he did ? The writer of this part of the book treats his subject in accordance with the popular opinion - a naive man, caught in the wrong place at the wrong time.
The rest of the book is devoted to his many dalliances and it seemed to me that suddenly the writer was in a hurry to finish his book.
I quite enjoyed the first half, where the writer demystified the individual that is Sanjay Dutt and rationalized his actions. But the second half was comparatively a let down which is why I rate this book 3.5 *
August 16, 2019
This self-proclaimed 'biography' by Yasser Usman on Sanjay Dutt has been completely rubbished off by Dutt himself, to the extent of serving the writer, a legal notice. However factual or sensational the material within, is left to the reader and it's best judgment.
The book covers Dutt's notoriety, from a drug addict to a convict in possession of AK-56 gun, under The Arms Act (of India). And in between of course, his philandering personality that gave him the entitlement of the 'Bad Boy' of Bollywood.
Sanjay Dutt is the quintessential indecorous mafiosi, who appeals to a larger section of the stray youth, that confine being 'cool' and 'macho' to smoking, drugs, alcohol, sleaze and guns. Unfortunately for a nation of ours of over a billion human living, we haven't yet figured out who needs to be glorified and who, ignored. 📚
The book covers Dutt's notoriety, from a drug addict to a convict in possession of AK-56 gun, under The Arms Act (of India). And in between of course, his philandering personality that gave him the entitlement of the 'Bad Boy' of Bollywood.
Sanjay Dutt is the quintessential indecorous mafiosi, who appeals to a larger section of the stray youth, that confine being 'cool' and 'macho' to smoking, drugs, alcohol, sleaze and guns. Unfortunately for a nation of ours of over a billion human living, we haven't yet figured out who needs to be glorified and who, ignored. 📚
July 1, 2018
A page-turning account of Sanjay Dutt's life. I began reading this after watching Sanju, a film that I enjoyed in bits and pieces, but which left me disappointed. I enjoy Yasser Usman's easy, narrative style and if you grew up in the 1990s, like I did, this book clears the air on everything you wanted to know about Dutt (but didn't know whom to ask). PS: Film journalism back in the day produced some fascinating, unguarded quotes from filmstars, a far cry from the careful, cautious drivel that the entertainment pages in newspapers are now full of. PR and publicists must take the blame for ruining film journalism and the credit for being so good at image management.
June 3, 2018
A fast paced & interesting read. I've always wanted to know about the life & times of Sanjay Dutt & I was not disappointed, this book is an excellent read. If you are going to watch the up coming Bollywood movie 'Sanju' then this is the book you should read for background knowledge. It is a quick, well researched & shocking read. The 'notes' or references section at the end of the book is a good place to find more books to read about the lives of the Dutts & other events related to Bollywood & about the 1993 bomb blasts. A fabulous book for a Bollywood fan, do read it.
March 18, 2018
This one seems to be published to cash on the buzz of upcoming film Dutt ( A biopic on Sanjay Dutt) This one looks at Dutt life, from a macro point and each chapter seems to move fast from one aspect of his life to other. I would recommend you to buy this book only if you are not clued to Bollywood; otherwise, most of which has been written in the book is well known, barring a few anecdotes.
This is a quick and easy read. I finished reading this book in less than 90 minutes.
This is a quick and easy read. I finished reading this book in less than 90 minutes.
March 27, 2018
Rating edit : 3.5 stars.
When the book arrived, it reminded me of my school/college days when I used to read film magazines with great interest. I'm not that interested now, however, while reading this book, I realized that Indian cinema still interests me. Even though Sanjay Dutt is not my favourite hero, I liked this book. He was indeed a crazy man!
It's a fast paced, easy and engaging read. Full of interesting (sometimes, lesser known) twists. Full review on my blog soon.
When the book arrived, it reminded me of my school/college days when I used to read film magazines with great interest. I'm not that interested now, however, while reading this book, I realized that Indian cinema still interests me. Even though Sanjay Dutt is not my favourite hero, I liked this book. He was indeed a crazy man!
It's a fast paced, easy and engaging read. Full of interesting (sometimes, lesser known) twists. Full review on my blog soon.
June 19, 2018
The book is fairly well written and is a breeze to read. As it's not an authorised book, hagiography is not there. But nor is it a completely satisfying account of what exactly is going through Sanjay's mind during all the decisions which he takes. However it is admirable that the author does not heavily veer into rumours and does a decent job of presenting an objective viewpoint of Sanjay's life.
https://nairsudhir.wordpress.com/2018...
https://nairsudhir.wordpress.com/2018...
April 4, 2020
Yasseer Usman biography of Sanjay Dutt gives a peek in a complex man, the original bad boy and enfant terrible who, ultimately, paid the price of stupidity. The writer has objectively captured the many moods and moments of Sanju Baba, run down with the law, girlfriends, marriage, underworld tryst and the Bombay blast. The strong emotional bondage with mom Nargis who played an indelible part in his life makes this biography something to cherish and drawing your own interpretation.
September 20, 2020
I won't waste your time and make this quick. Much much better than the movie. This book hasn't tried to whitewash his image. It has revealed his true colors, which is- he is a brat who let his parents down, who were good people.
And no, he didn't buy those guns for protecting his family. He bought them because he was fascinated by the gangsters and the underworld. He is a sleaze bag and a patriarch, who never respected women. He fully deserved the punishement meted out to him.
And no, he didn't buy those guns for protecting his family. He bought them because he was fascinated by the gangsters and the underworld. He is a sleaze bag and a patriarch, who never respected women. He fully deserved the punishement meted out to him.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 12, 2025
This book was clearly written by a fan - the subject was framed consistently as someone who had been thrown many life struggles unfairly, when a majority of the happenings in his life were instigated by his own stupidity and selfishness. Fairly well written, but feels very surface level and overly positive about the less-than-moral decisions of Dutt.
February 5, 2020
Honest
I love this book for its honesty.It didn't try to picture Sanjay, one of my favourite actors as someone that he isn't. I was brought to tears especially while reading about his mother.
I love this book for its honesty.It didn't try to picture Sanjay, one of my favourite actors as someone that he isn't. I was brought to tears especially while reading about his mother.
March 31, 2021
It was a good read and very intriguing to know what really happens behind the smiles and bravery on television and movies. Makes my heart go out to him. Especially when his first movie launched after his mom passed away.
April 29, 2018
If there was ever any Life that would prove that Truth is stranger than fiction, it is the life and times of Sanjay Dutt. What a life! Words are not enough, it has to be read, to be believed.
July 10, 2018
Every growing Indian wants to run for a bigger dream, never bad in India-the higher the calculation comes to you.
October 24, 2018
Simply enjoyed reading this . And i have read it before his biopic’s release. So those of whom who haven’t watched the movie should read this else won’t be fun
December 25, 2018
Easy reading, well documented in a crisp format.
December 31, 2018
A pretty shallow book but yet unputdownable!
March 24, 2019
It is Avery nice book
June 5, 2019
Good
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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