Sanjay Dutt: Seven of his best lead roles

THIS month sees the release of hotly-anticipated biopic Sanju. Ranbir Kapoor portrays the turbulent life of pop­ular Bollywood star Sanjay Dutt in the Rajkumar Hirani-directed film. But apart from the personal lows, Sanjay has also had many highs on the big screen. With that in mind, here are seven of his most fabulous lead roles...

Naam (1986): After a rollercoaster start to his career, which included impressive 1981 lead debut Rocky, the actor showed he was a force to be reckoned in this blockbuster which ran for over a year in Indian cinemas. His stunning portrayal of the brother who goes abroad to make something of himself struck a chord with a gen­eration who had ventured overseas or were thinking about it.

Saajan (1991): The highest-grossing movie of that year was a beautifully-crafted love triangle that also starred Madhuri Dixit and Salman Khan. Sanjay portrays a poet who hides his identity from a woman he adores because his adopted brother is in love with her too. The hit romantic drama boasted stand-out songs that are still popu­lar today.

Sadak (1991): The actor teamed up with Naam director Mahesh Bhatt again for this drama set on the mean streets of a big city. He portrays a troubled man who tries to save a woman he has fallen for, who works in a brothel. The rugged drama rooted in reality clocked up big numbers and had a smash hit soundtrack.

Khalnayak (1993): One of the roles most closely con­nected to the actor saw him play a criminal who escapes from prison and forms an unlikely bond with an under­cover female police officer. Although the film is best re­membered for the Choli Ke Peeche song, it was largely a success due to Dutt’s deadly performance.

Vaastav (1999): After a series of misfires the actor struck back with an award-winning turn in the gangster drama about a everyday guy who is dragged into the un­derworld and rises up to become a kingpin. The success of the movie helped invent the gangster genre rooted in reality and spawned a sequel.

Munna Bhai MBBS (2003): The actor landed the lead role in the remarkably-suc­cessful film after Shah Rukh Khan was forced to pull out because of a back injury. The comedy of a small time villain who fakes his way through medi­cal college was a resounding success and in­troduced Bollywood to perhaps its greatest di­rector of the modern era, Rajkumar Hirani, who has incidentally directed the Sanju biopic.

Lage Raho Munna Bhai (2006): The actor teamed up with ace filmmaker Rajkumar Hirani for another instal­ment of the blockbuster franchise. This time around he plays a small time crook who tries to do the right thing after he falls in love and unexpectedly discovers the peaceful ways of Mahatma Gandhi. The movie won various accolades, including a National Award, and was shown at the United Nations.