Back Where He Belongs

SANJAY DUTT IS LOOKING FORWARD TO RECLAIMING HIS LIFE AND STARDOM. SUMAN SHARMA IN CONVERSATION WITH A RENEWED MAN

- Suman Sharma

"It’s a great feeling to be home. Sometimes, I pinch myself to check if it’s real. When I wake up in the middle of the night and find myself in my room, I have to remind myself, I’m home.” That’s Sanjay Dutt’s first account of being a free man. Not too long ago, his bed used to be a solitary cell in Yerwada Prison, Pune. But that memory seems like a distant past now. Over the last 19-odd months, Sanjay Dutt has taken a liking to his new life. It’s a veritable second innings, alright, one where family and films are the only things that matter. His return to the silver screen with Omung Kumar’s Bhoomi is also a tale of a father, who fights for justice for his daughter. A shade of sentiment that finds its relevance in Dutt’s real life today. He’s a father to three (Trishala, Iqra and Shahraan). He understands the fears and challenges of a father. Shades that come out with all grit and glory.

No wonder, he signed Bhoomi considering he could relate to so many things in the script. He says, “Omung Kumar is a focussed director. He’s written a cracking film. This story is based on a rape case. The story of the film is touching. And I thought if I have to come back after three years what better way to do it than with an emotional film.”

Bhoomi generated buzz from the time it was launched. It put the spotlight back on Dutt’s career and he’s only thankful for all the attention. He says, “It feels great that the trailer has got so much appreciation. It’s great to be back and to be loved by the people. The first day I faced the camera for Bhoomi was an emotional one. I wasn’t nervous but I was doing it after a long time. It made me happy the way the entire team welcomed me back.”