MUMBAI MIRROR (December 16, 2016)

Sanjay Dutt's comeback film Marco Bhau which will see him play a stuntman and marks the directorial debut of Vidhu Vinod Chopra's sister, Shelly Dhar, has been pushed to a later date again. The film will now go on the floors by May 2017 after Shelly reworked the script that Vidhu and San jay felt lacked punch earlier. Sanjay will now make his comeback with Omung Kumar's revenge-drama Bhoomi that revolves around a father-daughter duo. It kicks off early next year.

 
Rachana Dubey (BOMBAY TIMES; November 20, 2016)

Upala KBR (DNA; September 29, 2016)


Dutt will ace this role because he is one of those few actors who is comfortable sitting, chatting or smoking a beedi with spotboys, lightmen and stuntmen of a film unit.

In fact, a source close to Dutt tells us that the actor has begun research on the film. “Sanjay shares a good rapport with the stuntmen who have worked for him in previous films. He is familiar with their work and families and often asks after them. While prepping for his role, he is likely to spend time observing the stuntmen to pick and perfect some nuances for his character. His role is being kept under wraps as Vidhu wants a certain look for Marco,” added the source.

The source continues, “When he was given a narration of the first draft, he loved it. He found the story of a father and his daughter moving and emotion-packed. The final narration will happen soon. Being an action hero, Sanju understands the risks they face, and the dedication they put in to make a film as real as can be.”
In fact after he was released from Yerwada jail, one of the first people Sanju Baba met were a group of persons from the Stuntmen Association.

Shaheen Parkar (MID-DAY; September 5, 2016)

Sanjay Dutt walked free from prison on February 25 this year and Bollywood was eagerly awaiting his comeback. But, six months down the line, the actor hasn’t shot a single frame for any of his “comeback” films.

With nothing in hand currently, Dutt has instead been logging airmiles, Poland being the latest destination on his itinerary.

Even before his release from Pune’s Yerwada jail, there was talk about several filmmakers being in queue to sign Dutt and speculation over which one he would greenlight first. He chose Siddharth Anand’s action flick, but later did a rethink and opted out. The actor then decided to turn his focus to his next project, Marco Bhau, directorial debut of filmmaker Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s sister, Shelly. This project, too, is taking a while to take off. Initially, it was slated to go on the floor by the end of the year. But, if the grapevine is to be believed, things will not roll before February 2017.

Says a source, “There was great excitement in the fraternity when Dutt walked free. But sadly this has not translated into film offers for the star. Currently, except for Marco Bhau, whose story and screenplay is still being worked on, he has nothing in hand except for the long-in- the-planning Munnabhai 3. But with Rajkumar Hirani busy with the biopic of Dutt starring Ranbir Kapoor, part three of Munnabhai will take time.”

As reported, ‘Why did Sanjay Dutt let go his comeback film?’ (hitlist, July 4), Dutt was unhappy after going through the final draft of Anand’s film. The plot reminded him of several Hollywood flicks; he felt it was a mish-mash of Captain Phillips (2013), The Jackal (1997) and Under Siege (1992). He did not want his comeback to be labelled a rehash of Hollywood films. Not wanting to take any chances, he moved on to Chopra’s production, Marco Bhau. Dutt, however, at that time, had maintained that Siddharth’s film was not shelved and he needed more time to prep for action-intensive scenes.

He had even undergone martial arts training for the film under the guidance of Shifu Kanishka Sharma, who specialises in commando close quarter combat. The star had been training at the gym of his Pali Hill home. But as soon as he opted out, he stopped his training programme as well. Dutt’s spokesperson says, “He is in no rush to sign films. He is keen to spend time with family and travel. And Marco Bhau was always slated to take off after December.”

Sanjay Dutt, after serving out his sentence, is raring to get back into action with half-a-dozen films, including one penned by two convicts which he will produce
Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; August 31, 2016)


Nattily dressed in a white shirt and blue jeans, Sanjay Dutt looks fighting fit and relaxed as he settles down to his first interview since stepping out of Yerwada jail on February 25. It's been six months since, and he's savouring his time with the family. Wife Manyata helped him stay connected when away through letters and would drive down to Pune once a month to meet him, not missing a mulaqat even when she was unwell because that would have meant waiting till the next month. "I don't know if I'd have done as much. She's made me realise how important a wife is. She's given me a home, two beautiful children, stayed strong and helped me stay strong," he tears up.

Sanjay however refused to let his kids, Iqra and Shahraan, visit him, not wanting them to have any memories of their papa in prison. But once they're older, Manyata and he have decided to tell them about it before anyone else does.

"For now they are happy to have me back, papa se darr nahin lagta, he's not a disciplinarian. He only wants them to grow up to be good human beings," he says.

There was a time when the 57-year-old actor had shied away from interviews. Today he speaks candidly about his life before industrialists, executives and young entrepreneurs, admitting that after the anger, resentment and sadness over his sentencing had faded, he decided to find some positives to make the jail term bearable. "I read the Bhagavad Gita, the Ramayana and the Puranas, used buckets and clothes lines to work out, learnt Marathi and how to make paper bags. I also worked at the radio station and in the natak mandali in jail where I taught 60-70 convicts serving out life sentences to mouth dialogues, sing, dance and express themselves through skits," he reveals.

After six months they hosted a cultural function to which Rajkumar Hirani and the jail authorities were invited. When the latter applauded, the prisoners turned emotional, swore to reform and work hard after release, says Sanjay, pointing out most of them are not hardened criminals but committed a crime in the heat of the moment or were driven by circumstances. "I made a mistake too. I should have been more responsible, but I was young then. I paid for it and now, finally, it's behind me," he says with relief, admitting that if he could turn the clock back, he'd have listened to his parents and after being arrested, studied up on the law.

"Every citizen should know the law because once you are in jail, no amount of money can buy you back your freedom. In 1993, when I went to M N Singh (then Joint Commissioner of Police, Crime), he decided my case fell under the provisions of TADA. Had I known then what TADA meant, I'd have questioned it," he rues, happy that the Supreme Court eventually acquitted him of the terror charges in the '93 Mumbai blasts. "I was convicted under the Arms Act for possession of a rifle which was never found nor used to threaten anyone. Still it's a big relief that I'm not branded a terrorist and an anti-national thanks to the SC's judgement. My father (Sunil Dutt) who had passed away by then, would have been happy."

He remembers his father as a Gandhian, a man of honour and respect, the strongest person he's known. "In weak moments, I'd recall my parents teaching me to love the country and all religions," he says, pointing out that though his mother, Nargis Dutt, was buried in the same cemetery as her mother, Jaddan Bai, her last rites were conducted by a pandit, a maulana, a Christian priest and a Buddhist monk. "Today, after coming out of jail, I realise people respect me because I didn't run away. I served my sentence like a man and came out like a man, with dignity."

There were reports of him getting special privileges, including frequent furloughs which were sometimes extended, and he argues that according to the law, every prisoner is entitled to furlough and parole after a certain period. "I'd served out 18 months of the sentence earlier so I was entitled to furlough six months into my term this time. Every day hundreds of prisoners come out on parole and hundreds go back in, no one talks about them. Stardom is a doubleedged sword. Anyway, I faced it all and finished it off," he reflects.

Sanjay's returned home with a script he penned with two of inmates, Zeeshan and Dr Sameer whom he met at the radio station and discovered they had a flair for writing. He tossed them an idea and encouraged them to turn it into a movie script. Initially apprehensive, they eventually came up with a light-hearted take on the jail with the message of reformation. "I've given it to Sajid-Farhad to polish, it's likely that the duo will direct the film for me. Once the script is locked, we'll pitch it to a couple of actors, we need someone younger," says the actor-producer.

Meanwhile, his story may find its way into a book. It has also spawned a biopic with Ranbir Kapoor playing him. The day he stepped out of jail, Raju Hirani took the first shot. "I was in a daze. I don't know what we shot, I don't even know if I'm in the film," Sanjay confides, refuting rumours that the film has been delayed because he wants the script tweaked. "I'm told they'll start in December. 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. He doesn't want me to hear it till the first draft is ready. He should give me a narration in 15-20 days."

The script that did not measure up was Siddharth Anand's action film. Buzz is, Shelly Chopra's Marco Bhau script has also fallen short but Sanjay insists that this film which was to roll in November has been delayed by a month because producer Vidhu Vinod Chopra wants the music to be ready first. "It'll be the first film I shoot for, a decision taken by Vinodji and me when I was out on furlough. It's a feel-good film about a father-daughter relationship, the right one to start this innings with," he asserts, adding that around the time he will also start the Hindi remake of Mahesh Manjrekar's Marathi film De Dhakka.

Also on the cards is Khalnayak Returns which he will be co-producing with Subhash Ghai and which will revolve around Ballu Balaram, his iconic character. "Once the script is ready, we'll decide on the director," he says. Sanjay Leela Bhansali had wanted the rights to Khal Nayak, will they approach him? "He's busy with Padmavati, besides he's too big a director!"

There's also an action-adventure, Kafala, Dance Gangs "for which I have to sit with Remo D'Souza" and Bhumi, an emotional family drama. What about Dhamaal 3? Sanjay reveals that Indra Kumar did meet him for another instalment of the hit franchise but they couldn't agree on the economics and it's on hold. However, Munna Bhai 3 should start after the biopic.

Sanjay wants to only do a few films that matter and as a producer invest in entertaining commercial cinema made in the right budget, with the right script. "I want to do the kind of roles Denzel Washington, Mel Gibson and Kevin Costner play if I get such scripts. I'm at that age now," muses the actor who's raring to get back to work. He got a preview of sorts when he shot for a vest ad.

"It was amazing being back on the sets again, in front of the camera and the lights. Some veteran fighters and junior artistes came to Madh Island to meet me, making it special," he smiles, saying that from October he'll focus on his workouts and will be in perfect shape when he starts shooting.

Before that during his kids' Diwali break he's planning a family vacation. "I can't go to certain countries like UK and the US and Europe may be too cold then so it could be the Maldives," he says. Didn't he leave the IIFA Awards prematurely to romp with his wife and kids in Ibiza? "My family went to Barcelona before coming to Madrid. I was too ill to travel and spent the next two days in bed. I wouldn't have gone to Spain had I not made a commitment. Even Raju had a terrible flu," he sighs.

Along with the twins he's also very close to his firstborn, Trishala, and is all praise for her grandparents and aunt who have brought her up amazingly well. "I don't know if I could have raised her as well. They gave her the best education. She's graduated in forensic science and now is into fashion. I'm proud of her," he beams. Any plans of getting into films? "No, woh keeda dimag se nikal gaya hai," he laughs, adding that they wrote to each other regularly when he was in jail and now speak every second day.

Talking about bonding, he admits that there was a lot of that in the industry earlier. "Now the set-up is more professional," laments Sanjay who's close to Sajid Nadiadwala but if rumours are to be believed, is at war with Salman Khan.

"What jhagda? I went to his Ganpati celebrations when I was out on furlough and no one wrote about it. But he didn't visit me after I returned and that was news. He's a busy actor, he was shooting far away, he can't be sitting at my house 24x7 but he's still my younger brother," Sanjay asserts.

He's also mended bridges with former bestie Sanjay Gupta who, he says, is one of our best technicians who's made path-breaking movies like Kaante. "Bhaiyon mein jhagda hota hai and the world takes advantage of that. But jab bhai mil jaate hain, no one talks about it," he grouses, saying he is waiting for Gupta to come to him with a great script.

And will he get back into politics? The query raises a laugh, "The good point of being convicted is that you can't contest for three years." And after that? "No," he says shortly. "I may campaign for Priya Dutt because she's my sister even if I don't support her party. My sisters and I share a special bond."

MID-DAY (August 5, 2016)

After walking out of what was supposed to be his comeback vehicle, Sanjay Dutt has moved on to Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s production Marco Bhau, which will now mark his return to screen after two years. Buzz is that the actor’s former flame, Madhuri Dixit, is being considered to play his leading lady.

Dutt and Madhuri were among the widely discussed couples of the ’90s, sharing an undeniable chemistry on screen, especially in their last outing, Khalnayak (1993). However, their alleged steady relationship hit rock bottom when Dutt was arrested for illegal possession of arms in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case. They have remained strangers ever since.

The last time they spoke was in June, when Mads called up the actor to make sure that there was no reference to her in his proposed biopic (reported by hitlist on June 11). The dancing diva didn’t wish to revisit the past since she is happily married with two sons now.

So, will she have a change of heart and reunite with her Khalnayak hero? A source close to the project says, “Madhuri is close to Vidhu Vinod, who directed her in the 1989 hit film, Parinda. So, she might just give her nod to the film. Moreover, Vidhu Vinod is known to bring controversial figures together on reel.”

Marco Bhau will be helmed by Vidhu Vinod’s sister, Shelly Chopra, and feature Dutt as father to a grown- up daughter.

Kriti Sanon and Athiya Shetty are said to be in the running for the role.

The actor who had brought in his birthday in prison for the last three years, made it an occasion to remember this year with his wife, children, sisters and the media
Natasha Coutinho (MUMBAI MIRROR; July 30, 2016)

Sanjay Dutt who turned 57 on Friday celebrated his first birthday as a 'free' man with wife Manyata, sisters, Namrata and Priya, and their husbands, Kumar Gaurav and Owen Roncon, cutting the first cake at midnight.

A source close to the actor adds, "Sanjay's kids, Shahraan and Iqra, who go to bed by 9 pm, missed out on the midnight celebrations. So the doting dad made it a point to wake up early the next morning despite the late night before they left for school and cut another cake with them. The kids gifted the birthday boy a card while Manyata gifted him a hot pair of wheels, an Audi Q7. The family then proceeded to lunch with Manyata and all of Sanjay's favourite dishes were laid out. The day ended with a family dinner at the couple's favourite restaurant in Bandra."

However, before calling it a day, Sanjay cut a third cake with the media at 6 pm, telling them how great it felt to celebrate as a free man. "I spent the last three birthdays in jail. Today, I'm glad I can celebrate it with my kids," he exulted.

The actor also took the opportunity to address rumours of a rift with Salman Khan, making it a point to underline the fact that the actor had called to wish him. "He is my younger brother, there is no fight between us and can never be. I had called him too when he got a clean chit in the court cases. I'm happy for him, I don't want anyone to go through what I did," he said emotionally.

However it's not all play and no work for the Dutt who has his hands full. "Marco Bhau, with Vidhu Vinod Chopra, will begin in November. I'm doing a film with Mahesh Manjrekar too which is a remake of the Marathi film De Dhakka. And the next Munnabhai film is expected to roll by 2018," he informed, adding that he has resumed his workouts and is also practising martial arts. "I have also given up alcohol and follow a strict diet to keep fit," he concluded.

Roshni K Olivera (BOMBAY TIMES; July 29, 2016)

Shaheen Parkar (MID-DAY; July 4, 2016)

Sanjay Dutt’s wait to be back on the big screen just got a tad longer. There has been enough speculation about his comeback vehicle — Siddharth Anand’s action flick — being put on hold, but reliable sources tell us that the actor has walked out of the film. He has now moved on to what was to be his second film since his release from jail earlier this year. It is titled Marco Bhau and will mark the directorial debut of Shelly Chopra, sister of filmmaker Vidhu Vinod Chopra.

Buzz is that the reason behind Dutt advancing the shoot of Marco Bhau was time constraints for the prep of Siddharth’s film. But we have found out that there is more to it. Says a source, “The reason why Sanjay is not doing Siddharth’s film is because of the script. After going through the final draft, he was unhappy. The plot reminded Sanjay of several Hollywood flicks — like a mish-mash of movies including Captain Phillips (2013), The Jackal (1997) and Under Siege (1992). He did not want his comeback to be labelled a rehash of Hollywood films.”

Adds the source, “Not wanting to take any chances, he moved on to Vidhu Vinod’s production. He is the one who cast him in the iconic character of Munnabhai. He decided that being Marco Bhau was a safer bet than a khichdi of Western films.”

Dutt, however, maintains, “Siddharth has asked for more preparation time as the film involves complex action scenes. He is the captain of the ship and it is not wise to hurry him into the shooting process. So, in all probability, I will be going ahead with another film of mine first.”

Siddharth adds, “A film of this scale needs more preparation. I have requested for more time. It is unfair to keep Sanjay waiting.”

After Dutt walked out of prison in February this year, he had greenlighted Siddharth’s film to be his first project among several films offered to him. He had even been undergoing martial arts training for the film under the guidance of Shifu Kanishka Sharma.