Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; July 11, 2018)

As Ranbir Kapoor's Sanju charges towards the Rs 300 crore mark on home turf, director Rajkumar Hirani is taking his labour of love to international shores. In a bid to celebrate the theme of inclusion this year, La Trobe University in Melbourne has selected the Sanjay Dutt biopic to represent Indian cinema. mid-day has learnt that Hirani and Vicky Kaushal, who played Kamlesh Kapasi in the film, will attend the screening slated for August 12.

Given Dutt's large fan base in India, Hirani knew that cinephiles were eager to see the man behind the wild child of Bollywood. However, whether the human drama manages to strike a chord with an audience that is largely alienated from Indian cinema, will serve as the litmus test of the film. "It's always an enriching experience when people of different diaspora watch our films. It will be an interesting experience to see the reactions of the students who are almost alien to Hindi films and the life of Sanjay Dutt," says Hirani.

The filmmaker plans to open the screening by introducing the students to Dutt's journey in cinema. Hirani, we hear, will also deliver a talk on what prompted him to make a biopic on the actor.

The honours don't end there for the talented filmmaker - Hirani, along with Kaushal, has been invited as a guest at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne that will be held from August 10 to 22. They have been chosen since their works have an underlying current of inclusion, which is also the festival's theme this year.