As Dutt completes his jail term today, we look at the possibilities of his comeback to the movies
Chaya Unnikrishnan (DNA; February 25, 2016)
In one of his interviews, Sanjay Dutt had said that the only thing he craved was freedom, not money or fame. And today, the actor has got his wish. Not only does he walk out of jail free, having served his term fully, Sanjay walks towards a new beginning in his life. The actor is ready to take on the world with a fresh, clear outlook. And nothing can keep him down. Yes, he has lost three years of his acting career and several new actors have come into the industry, but if there’s one thing the actor is best at, it is reinventing himself.
Though his film career suffered for a couple of years after he was released from jail, the first time in 1997, he turned it around with films like Vaastav, which had him playing a gangster and Khubsoorat, a rom com. And then, there was no looking back. With Munnabhai MBBS, Sanjay had an image makeover. But instead of sticking to playing innocent, fun characters, Sanjay chose to be the menacing villain in Agneepath and that won him accolades. In short, whether it is playing a macho hero, the dreaded villain, the bhai with a heart of gold or a goofy character, Sanjay is a crowd-puller.
The question is: Which film will Sanjay choose to make his comeback with One film that his fans are eagerly awaiting for is third part of the hit Munnabhai franchise. Though it is in the pipeline, and the writers have got hold of the subject, director Rajkumar Hirani is busy putting together a film on the actor first! Sanjay’s biopic starring Ranbir Kapoor will roll before Hirani takes to helming Munnabhai 3, the script for which is being readied. Sanjay Gupta, with whom Dutt has done several films including Kaante, Zinda and Shootout At Lokhandwala, had announced Kaante 2, but that is not happening anytime soon. Gupta is now going ahead with Kaabil, starring Hrithik Roshan. During Sanjay’s incarceration, his wife Maanayata who was handling their production house — Sanjay Dutt Productions — had met Prabhu Dheva and signed him to direct a film for their banner. So, there is a likelihood of Sanjay starring in a home production first if Prabhu Dheva’s film has him in a leading role. For that matter, even Rohit Shetty has been roped in to direct a film for Sanjay’s home production. Rohit, however, has already announced his plans of making Golmaal 4 this year.
OMG — Oh My God! director Umesh Shukla had approached Sanjay with an idea for a film when he was out on parole, which the actor had liked and given his nod to. It will be a socially relevant film high on entertainment laced with a message. So will that be his first film? Umesh hopes so, but he says it depends on Sanjay. “I will meet him at his convenience to narrate the script. He has just come out, he needs to spend time with his family after what he has gone through,” says the director.
One thing is for sure. The actor will be raring to make a comeback on screen. As Subhash Ghai who directed him in Vidhaata and Khalnayak, says, “He will come out this time with much more maturity and sense of responsibility as a human and also a bigger star on screen. He just wants to focus on his career as an actor, nothing else, that’s what he told me two months ago.”
Gupta adds, “Sanjay has excelled in intense action as well as comedy. I am sure that all his fans are waiting with bated breath as are filmmakers like me.”