Aamir Khan reveals that Rajkumar Hirani had approached him with the script of Sanju and he absolutely loved it. “I think he has written it beautifully and he said he wanted me to play Dutt Sa’ab. Dutt sa’ab’s is an amazing role. The movie is largely about the relationship between the father and the son,” he shares. So far so good, but the hitch was that Sanju’s role was simply unbelievable! “As actor I told Raju that Sanjay Dutt’s character was so amazing that it has won my heart. So in this film I can’t do any other role but Sanjay Dutt’s – which I can’t do because Ranbir was doing it! So then don’t offer me any other role because I can’t do it, I told him. I can’t come to set thinking that ‘Hmmm… those lines should be mine!’”

Aamir adds, “That role won my heart and I am sure that Ranbir has done it really well. Ranbir is a fantastic actor so I can’t wait to watch the film and watch Ranbir’s performance.”
Aamir is full of praise for Sunil Dutt, whom he remembers as “a person who was very graceful, very dignified, very principled, very strong person and yet very gentle, very warm and empathetic.”

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He recalls that he would regularly receive telegrams from Dutt sa’ab – Eid Mubarak or Diwali ki shubhkaamnayien, or happy birthday or congratulations if a film of his had done well. Most of all, he remembers his time spent with Dutt Sr. under the statue of Mahatma Gandhi near Mantralaya. “When the Mumbai riots happened in 1993, I remember at that time the film industry had taken a delegation to the Chief Minister, requesting him to bring in the army and do what needed to be done to stop the riots,” Aamir narrates.

Many members of the film industry had gathered together and some 30 – 40 of them had driven down together to the CM’s office, met him and asked him to put a stop to it. “After that we decided that since that no immediate action was being taken, we would sit under Mahatma Gandhi’s statue near Mantralaya and protest this inaction.” The first night five of them stayed under the statue all night – Dutt sa’ab, Yash Chopra, Johny Walker, a producer and Aamir. “In those times we didn’t even have security, so it was just five of us there and we spent the whole night under the statue. I remember that night very well. For me, it was the most wonderful company because I love cinema and I was full of questions. Dutt sa’ab was telling us about his career, Johny sa’ab was telling us about his experience so it was a very memorable night for me.” A dharna can sometimes be a blessing in disguise!