Watch: How Autobiographical Blind Spots Ruin Stories | Case Study: Sanju
When filmmakers get too close to their subject, they often lose the one thing that makes a story resonate: honesty. In this episode of Frequently Made Mistakes, Sudhish Kamath breaks down the dangers of autobiographical blind spots—the storytelling flaw that turns biopics into PR.
Using Sanju as a case study, we explore how proximity, nostalgia, and guilt can distort a filmmaker’s perspective, softening the truth and sabotaging the story. Why did Rajkumar Hirani choose empathy over investigation? What does the film protect—and what does it hide?
We’ll also show how other personal narratives like The Social Network avoid this pitfall, and offer practical writing exercises to help you build critical distance in your own scripts.
Because bad choices make good stories… only if you’re brave enough to tell the truth.
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Music: Ivan Avakian
Published – June 10, 2025 10:59 am IST
