Ranbir Kapoor plans to put on weight for Sanjay Dutt biopic

Kapoor is keen to bulk up to look the part for the Sanjay Dutt biopic, where he is playing the lead role.

It’s not a secret anymore that Ranbir Kapoor will portray Sanjay Dutt in a biopic based on the latter’s life. And though Ranbir is excited to step into Sanjay’s shoes, the dissimilarity in their appearance is obvious.

Hence, the young actor has decided to beef up a little for a more real portrayal of the character. "Ranbir is a great actor. And I am sure he will be able to do full justice to the role. For the film, he wants to put on weight, so that he can take up the journey (of the character) effectively," says Rajkumar Hirani, who will be directing the film. "We have already told Ranbir what are we doing, and how we are going to approach the story. And he is excited," he adds.

But how important is it to look like the person you are essaying on screen? Not much, says Hirani, who feels that once the audience are engrossed in a film, they don’t notice physicality. However, Hirani is clear that he can’t have "someone who looks like Sanju (Sanjay Dutt), but is a bad actor. I would rather have it the other way round."

Ranbir Kapoor set to play Sanjay Dutt in Hirani's biopic on the Vaastav star.

Elaborating on the same, the film-maker says, "It wasn’t necessary that we have to find an actor who resembles Sanju. Still, you look at Sanju’s picture from Rocky (1981) days and Ranbir’s. They both have a similar ‘stardom’ on their face. Also, if you look at Ben Kingsley (who played Mahatma Gandhi in Richard Attenborough’s Gandhi; 1982), he has no real resemblance with Gandhiji. Unlike Gandhiji, Kingsley is tall."

The work on the film’s script has been on for the last six-seven months, and Hirani tells us that the story’s has started to take shape now. "It’s a challenge — how do you do it, what do you say in it? People shouldn’t get hurt, but still, you should tell the story."