Sanjay Dutt: Don’t want to star in all my productions

Pic/Yogen Shah

In his four-decade career, Sanjay Dutt hasn't shied away from taking risks - some have paid off, others have left him with a wise lesson or two. Now, as he rolls out his new studio Three Dimension Motion Pictures, the actor hopes that his fearless streak will reflect in his productions as well. "I did Saajan [1991] at a time when action heroes wouldn't play a man with a limp. Munna Bhai was a brave move. I take these chances, and they work for me," he begins.

Sanjay Dutt's under-construction studio at Andheri

This isn't Dutt's first brush with filmmaking. He had forayed into the business with Sanjay S Dutt Productions that backed Prassthanam (2019) and the Marathi film, Baba (2019). For Three Dimension Motion Pictures, the actor has put together a fresh team of content creators and writers. "Movies and OTT offerings will be [created at] our stable. I believe some of the films that we are discussing will bring back the old-school Hindi film heroism to the screens. I don't want to star in all my productions. I want to experience the producer's life now," he chuckles, before adding that he is not suited for number-crunching. "I am too emotional, and have a tendency to splurge. So, I have hired people to ensure I don't overspend [on projects]."

The first film to come out of the stable will be a horror comedy. While the script has been locked, the casting is underway. "It will be followed by an action film. So far, we have locked five stories. The first film will roll this summer," says the actor-producer proudly. Dutt has been a witness to the changing content landscape of the past few years. Even as he will feature in some of his productions, the actor is certain that the offerings will depict him in a new light. "At 60-plus, I won't be dancing with Alia Bhatt in a romantic song! I have to move on and pick roles that feel like a step ahead. For instance, OTT offers keep coming my way, but I need a good character to jump on the bandwagon."