Titas Chowdhury (HINDUSTAN TIMES; March 13, 2020)

With a chock-a-block schedule, even at 60, Sanjay Dutt still keeps the actor in him challenged by doing films of multiple genres and essaying characters of diverse shades. “At my age, I can now pick and choose the characters I want to play,” says the actor, who has five films — Shamshera, K.G.F: Chapter 2, Bhuj: The Pride Of India, Sadak 2 and Torbaaz — in his kitty, and is raring to go. He believes that age is just a number and embracing it has helped him understand himself better. Excerpts from an interview:

You have a bunch of films releasing this year. How thrilled are you?
I am very excited about this year. I have got to play some great characters, and I am collaborating with talented people. Each film for me feels like it is my first film. Needless to say, I am thrilled about my upcoming releases.

You recently worked with young actors such as Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt. What do you think they bring to the table?
They epitomise freshness and brilliant talent. Ranbir and Alia are such great talents of our country and everyone loves them. It is fun to be able to share a rapport with young stars and they make the whole experience so much fun. They bring so much energy to the sets, and it is infectious.

You are known for so many of your grey characters. We will see you playing an antagonist in Shamshera as well. What is it about them that fascinates you?
As an actor, I love playing grey characters. Black and white characters have never interested me. Human beings are grey. The moralities, the vulnerabilities and the conflicts within us is what makes us so human. In fact, Mahabharata is such a brilliant and beautiful epic. Its beauty lies in the fact that each character is grey, so deeply layered and nuanced.

How much are you enjoying this phase of your career?
I am loving this phase. I can spend time and relax with my family and see my kids grow up. I have been acting for over 40 years, and so, transitioning between characters is not difficult for me. In fact, age has brought so many experiences, which have made me richer as an actor and as a person. I have so much more to give now to each character I play.

What do you miss the most about the ’80s and the ’90s?
Those were very different times. The industry was not as professional as it is today, which has made working today much easier. However, there was a charm then. There was a warmth and camaraderie between people, and we would work on many films just for the relationships we had and not necessarily because of the role or the film. Today, it is rare to see that. There is a strong sense of professionalism now. To sum it up, it was great then and it is great now.