Movies Like Sanju (2018)

Sanju is a 2018 comedy, drama film from Rajkumar Hirani with a MovieMagicScore of 7.2/10. Here are 20 similar films, ranked by real viewer ratings — starting with Painted Fire and Love Is the Devil: Study for a Portrait of Francis Bacon.

Comedy Drama

Painted Fire

2002

In a time of political and social unrest in 19th century Korea, uncouth, self-taught painter Jang Seung-up explores his natural talent amidst the repressive world around him.

7.0

MagicScore

Love Is the Devil: Study for a Portrait of Francis Bacon

1998

In the 1960s, British painter Francis Bacon surprises a burglar and invites him to share his bed. The burglar, a working class man named George Dyer, accepts. After the unique beginning to their love affair, the well-connected and volatile artist assimilates Dyer into his circle of eccentric friends, as Dyer's struggle with addiction strains their bond.

6.0

MagicScore

Eric Clapton: Life in 12 Bars

2018

An unflinching and deeply personal journey into the life and work of guitarist Eric Clapton told through his own words and songs.

7.4

MagicScore

Pavarotti

2019

Featuring never-before-seen footage, concert performances and intimate interviews, filmmaker Ron Howard examines the life and career of famed opera tenor Luciano Pavarotti.

7.2

MagicScore

Little Richard: I Am Everything

2023

The story of the black, gay origins of rock n' roll. It explodes the whitewashed canon of American pop music to reveal the innovator – the originator – Richard Penniman. Through a wealth of archive and performance that brings us into Richard's complicated inner world, the film unspools the icon's life story with all its switchbacks and contradictions.

6.4

MagicScore

Great Expectations

1998

Loosely based on the Charles Dickens' classic novel, "Great Expectations" is a sensual tale of a young man's unforgettable passage into manhood, and the three individuals who will undeniably change his life forever. Through the surprising interactions of these vivid characters, "Great Expectations" takes a unique and contemporary look at life's great coincidences.

6.6

MagicScore

The Lives of Others

2006

In 1984 East Berlin, dedicated Stasi officer Gerd Wiesler begins spying on a famous playwright and his actress-lover Christa-Maria. Wiesler becomes unexpectedly sympathetic to the couple, and faces conflicting loyalties when his superior takes a liking to Christa-Maria.

8.0

MagicScore

Michelangelo Endless

2018

A painter recounts the life of Michelangelo.

7.0

MagicScore

Caravaggio's Shadow

2022

The Catholic Church secretly investigates Caravaggio as the Pope weighs whether to grant him clemency for killing a rival.

6.4

MagicScore

#10

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds: One More Time with Feeling

2016

Andrew Dominik's One More Time With Feeling is a remarkable black and white documentary which chronicles the creation of Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds' album Skeleton Tree. Originally a performance based concept, the film evolved into something much more significant as Dominik delved into the tragic backdrop of the writing and recording of the album. The result is stark, fragile and raw, and a true testament to an artist trying to find his way through the darkness. It documents the writing, recording and performing of Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds’ sixteenth studio album, Skeleton Tree.

7.9

MagicScore

#11

Luigi Proietti detto Gigi

2022

Documentary about the film and theater career of the roman actor, Gigi Proietti, who passed away on 2 November 2020

7.5

MagicScore

#12

The Wonderful Horrible Life of Leni Riefenstahl

1993

This documentary recounts the life and work of one of most famous, and yet reviled, German film directors in history, Leni Riefenstahl. The film recounts the rise of her career from a dancer, to a movie actor to the most important film director in Nazi Germany who directed such famous propaganda films as Triumph of the Will and Olympiad. The film also explores her later activities after Nazi Germany's defeat in 1945 and her disgrace for being so associated with it which includes her amazingly active life over the age of 90.

7.1

MagicScore

#13

Sissi

1955

The young Bavarian princess Elisabeth, who all call Sissi, goes with her mother and older sister Néné to Austria where Néné will be wed to an emperor named Franz Joseph, Yet unexpectedly Franz runs into Sissi while out fishing and they fall in love.

7.3

MagicScore

#14

American Splendor

2003

An original mix of fiction and reality illuminates the life of comic book hero everyman Harvey Pekar.

7.2

MagicScore

#15

My Mother's Castle

1990

To his chagrin, young Marcel Pagnol and his family move back to their home in Marseille, France, far from their pastoral holiday cottage in the hills. Determined, Marcel makes the long voyage back to the cottage on foot and lands himself in trouble. One day Marcel's father discovers a shortcut to the cottage, but it requires trespassing. Despite their trepidations, Marcel and his family begin using the secret trail to reach their cottage.

7.2

MagicScore

#16

Gentleman Jim

1942

As bare-knuckled boxing enters the modern era, brash extrovert Jim Corbett uses new rules and dazzlingly innovative footwork to rise to the top of the boxing world.

7.1

MagicScore

#17

Sissi: The Young Empress

1956

Sissi is now the empress of Austria and attempts to learn etiquette. While she is busy being empress she also has to deal with her difficult new mother-in-law, while the arch-duchess Sophie is trying to tell the emperor how to rule and also Sissi how to be a mother.

7.1

MagicScore

#18

The Madness of King George

1994

Aging King George III of England is exhibiting signs of madness, a problem little understood in 1788. As the monarch alternates between bouts of confusion and near-violent outbursts of temper, his hapless doctors attempt the ineffectual cures of the day. Meanwhile, Queen Charlotte and Prime Minister William Pitt the Younger attempt to prevent the king's political enemies, led by the Prince of Wales, from usurping the throne.

6.8

MagicScore

#19

Riding in Cars with Boys

2001

In 1965, a young woman with dreams of becoming a writer has a son at the age of 15 and struggles to make things work with the drug-addicted father.

6.7

MagicScore

#20

Confessions of a Dangerous Mind

2002

Television made him famous, but his biggest hits happened off screen. Television producer by day, CIA assassin by night, Chuck Barris was recruited by the CIA at the height of his TV career and trained to become a covert operative. Or so Barris said.

6.7

MagicScore

Frequently asked

What are the best movies like Sanju?

The top films similar to Sanju by MovieMagicScore are Painted Fire (7.0), Love Is the Devil: Study for a Portrait of Francis Bacon (6.0), Eric Clapton: Life in 12 Bars (7.4). Each shares comedy/drama themes and is ranked by real viewer ratings, not critics or studios.

Is Sanju worth watching?

Sanju holds a MovieMagicScore of 7.2/10 from 205 viewer ratings, putting it among the better-reviewed titles in its genre.

What kind of movie is Sanju?

Sanju (2018) is a comedy, drama film directed by Rajkumar Hirani, starring Ranbir Kapoor, Paresh Rawal, Vicky Kaushal.

Where can I find more recommendations like Sanju?

Browse the full ranked list above, or explore more comedy recommendations on MovieMagicScore, where every list is ordered by genuine viewer ratings.

Keep exploring

Movies like Painted Fire Movies like Love Is the Devil: Study for a Portrait of Francis Bacon Movies like Eric Clapton: Life in 12 Bars Movies like Pavarotti Movies like Little Richard: I Am Everything Movies like Great Expectations

About movies like Sanju

This ranked list pairs Sanju (2018), a comedy and drama film from Rajkumar Hirani, with similar titles by genre, theme and cast overlap (fans of Ranbir Kapoor take note). Unlike critic-driven sites, every position here is ordered by MovieMagicScore — a rating built only from real viewers, with no studio marketing or paid placement. Scores update as more people rate, so the list stays current.

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