MUMBAI MIRROR (September 24, 2016)

While Rajkumar Hirani is gearing up to roll with his Sanjay Dutt biopic, which has Ranbir Kapoor as the protagonist, in January, speculations have been rife about its potential leading ladies Among the many names doing the rounds to play Madhuri Dixit and Sanjay's wife, Manyata, is Anushka Sharma. A source close to the development told Mirror, "Anushka is not playing Manyata or even any of Sanjay's love interest. It's a cameo appearance, she will be seen as a scribe/biographer who chronicles Sanjay's life in the film."

The source added that the 26-yearold actress-filmmaker was approached by her PK director with whom she shares a close rapport, and instantly agreed to do the role.

Mirror tried to get in touch with Hirani via text but he remained unavailable for comment. His spokesperson however confirmed the development but refused to divulge further details.

On February 25, the day Sanjay walked out of prison after serving a 42-month sentence in the 1993 Mumbai blasts case, Hirani was there to receive him along with his close family. The happy reunion also doubled up as the first shot of the biopic with the camera documenting Dutt's real-time release. "I was in a daze. I don't know what we shot, I don't even know if I'm in the film," Sanjay had confided in Mirror in an earlier interview (September 1), refuting rumours that the film has been delayed because he wanted the script tweaked. "The dates are sorted but Raju is still writing. He has 900 hours of recorded conversations with me from which he has to cull out a two-and-a-half-hour film."