In 2012, the Hindi film industry woke up to the potential of Sanjay Dutt as an intimidating villain, thanks to his Kancha Cheena act in Karan Malhotra’s Agneepath. It looks like the filmmakers in the south are making a similar discovery, a decade on. After he made waves with his antagonist act in Kannada blockbuster KGF - Chapter 2 (2022), Dutt is being offered several villainous roles in south films.

While he will be seen taking on Thalapathy Vijay in Lokesh Kanagaraj’s Tamil actioner Leo soon, the latest is that he is shooting for KD - The Devil. The Kannada film, starring Dhruva Sarja, will see Dutt portray a negative character again.

Directed by Prem, KD is said to be inspired by true events that took place during the 1970s in Bengaluru. Dutt, who built an action hero image in his four-decade run in Hindi movies and took on countless baddies single-handedly on screen, is now enjoying being on the other side of the table.

A source says, “After Yash and Sanjay created magic in KGF - Chapter 2, many south stars are eager to share screen space with the senior actor. He has received several offers, and is choosing roles carefully. He wants to take on projects in which he will be able to bring something new to the table.”

An actor’s longevity is defined by his ability to reinvent. To Dutt, his negative turns on screen are a step in that direction. He doesn’t view the grey roles as a risk; instead, he says it’s “the most fun” he has had in his career.

“With films like KGF, and RRR [2022], the language barriers have all disappeared now. I am so excited about the kind of parts written for me today. I am delighted to be reinventing myself every day at work. I am relishing [this phase],” says the actor, as he shoots for KD in Bengaluru.