The makers of Sanju might be laughing all the way to the bank as the film has become one of the most successful films in the history of Hindi cinema but there is no hiding the fact that many critics and members of the audience have come forward to call them out on apparently trying to ‘whitewash’ Sanjay Dutt’s image. However, director Rajkumar Hirani feels that he has not ‘glorified’ the actor as claimed by certain sections and his film does not indulge in media bashing either, even though the film says it differently.

Sanju is being played at the ninth edition of the International Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) and during an interview, Hirani spoke about the allegations of media bashing, “If I start on that, I can talk on it for the full day.” The co-writer of the biopic Abhijat Joshi was quick to add, “There is no media bashing at all. We are great fans of the media. What we are bashing is a certain section which sensationalizes things and uses a question mark to make things 'chatpata' (spicy). That has been critiqued, and I am amazed there has been no introspection on that side. No one has even said that it happens,"

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Hirani further added, “Today if the world believes that Sanjay had RDX, it's based on that one news, so we have criticized that. But now when we are told that the whole film is about media bashing, it's again picking up a headline," the director referred to a newspaper cutting titled ‘RDX in a truck parked in Dutt house?’ and they were blaming the question mark which was the bone of contention.

Hirani tried to give reasons for his film’s take on journos and media by saying, “When we show a corrupt police officer, it doesn't mean all policemen are wrong. It's a section.” Sanju might showcase Sanjay’s drug problems, his personal affairs, a jail term and his strenuous bonds with parents and friends but the filmmaker has also left a lot out and moreover, in every frame and after folly Sanjay is not blamed but excused and some other force is found to put the blame on.

Talking about whitewashing Sanjay’s image, Hirani said, “Whitewashing as a word is being thrown open. If you've watched the film, what was Sanju's crime? Yes, he kept the gun, and we have shown that. We have shown that he served five years in jail and that he is saying it was a mistake... So where is the question of whitewashing? What have I whitewashed? I want to understand that. People are using this word whitewash. I want to know what have I whitewashed? I have shown that he had 308 girlfriends that he was so addicted to drugs, he slept with his friend's girlfriend. Is this whitewashing? If we had to whitewash anyone, we would have made him Mahatma Gandhi... What have we whitewashed? Tell us his crime?"

Joshi reasons and added, “The crime has been shown graphically. He is destroying the gun, we have shown that the bullets are thrown away, we are showing that. So whatever is the crime is, is clearly shown." Hirani also spoke about the allegations that do Sanjay has qualities that should be glorified on screen by making a film on him, and said, “Again, where have I glorified is what I want to ask? Is this glorification that he slept with his friend's girlfriend, kept a gun, did drugs, made a girl wear a commode on her neck? We have shown all this... Still, people are saying we have glorified his life. Who knew this that instead of putting a mangalsutra, he put a commode on a girl.”

Hirani is also miffed that people have made allegations on him that he made the film for money. He countered the question and said, “It is ridiculous because if money was the criteria, we would have made 5 Munnabhais back-to-back... They would have been bigger hits, or 3 Idiots parts 2, 3, 4, 5, 6." He also said that people tried to dissuade him from making the film saying that it will be his first flop as Sanjay is a negative and gray character. Hirani further said, “Now when the film has been made, everything is reversed that this has been made for money.” Joshi was also not far behind when he added, “Do you think Rajkumar Hirani, at this time in his career, would spend 3 years of his life just to whitewash somebody.”