Sanjay Dutt’s life has been as dramatic as the films he has starred in. From battling substance abuse and enduring multiple failed relationships to facing legal troubles due to his involvement in the 1993 serial bombings case, Sanjay has seen numerous ups and downs. Despite these hurdles, his career has remained strong since his debut in Rocky (1981), directed by his father Sunil Dutt. Among his biggest hits is Vaastav: The Reality (1999), a film that not only achieved massive success but also earned him widespread critical acclaim.
Recently, director Mahesh Manjrekar revealed that Sanjay juggled his court appearances with filming Vaastav. He shared that production had to be paused for almost a year due to financial difficulties. “At that time, Sanju had to be in court from Monday to Friday, from 9 am to 5 pm. So, on a few days a week, we would shoot from 7 in the evening to 6 in the morning. On Saturday mornings, we would wrap up a bit early, around 3-4 am, so that Sanju could be on set by 10-11 am, and he did. On Saturdays and Sundays, we went all out. By the time we completed 35 per cent of the film, our producer ran out of money,” he shared in an interview with Pinkvilla.
Manjrekar mentioned that obtaining funding for films was significantly more difficult in those days, adding to the overall challenges of filmmaking. Since the movie remained incomplete for nearly a year, many assumed it had been shelved. During this period, while Dutt was in Hyderabad, he contacted Manjrekar, requesting him to bring the rush print to potential investors. However, these efforts did not yield results.
Eventually, Shyam Shroff of Shringar Films came across the footage and appreciated it. He purchased the Bombay distribution rights for Rs 50 lakh, providing an advance of Rs 25 lakh, which allowed them to resume production. Once those funds were exhausted, the team adopted a strategy of selling distribution rights regionally, covering territories such as Delhi and Uttar Pradesh, to finance the remaining shoot. Amidst this financial instability, Manjrekar went on to direct Astitva (2000) before returning to complete Vaastav.
He also recalled that some industry insiders had initially doubted Dutt’s acting skills. Sharing a phone conversation with a well-known actor from his theatre days, Manjrekar said: “He asked me who I was working with. When I mentioned Sanjay Dutt, he exclaimed, ‘Arrey, woh patthar hai; usko kuch nahi aayega‘ (He is like a stone; he can’t act). I said, ‘Talk to me after the film releases. I’ll make sure he does a fantastic job.’ Nobody could have done the role as good as him.”
Dutt’s performance in Vaastav ultimately proved the skeptics wrong, cementing his place as one of Bollywood’s most formidable actors. His portrayal of Raghu, a man drawn into the world of crime, remains one of his most celebrated performances to date.
