Appearances can be deceptive. Perceptions, more so. Just when I think interviewing the ‘deadly brat' of Bollywood is going to be a monosyllable-filled Q and A, it turns out to be leisurely with the conversation moving from his upcoming film Department , wishful thinking about female co-stars to recipes he has mastered! Sanjay Dutt is indeed a revelation, tilting more towards his on-screen Munnabhai image than the eccentric Kancha of Agneepath .
He's seen enough cops to know how to play one convincingly. So Mahadev Bhonsle of Ram Gopal Varma's Department is like second nature to him. “What are the challenges?” he quips, in answer to a question. “I am playing a straightforward tough cop in Department who minces no words but has decided to abide by the rules of the system. There is nothing called a challenge in any role. I have been in the business of acting for 32 years now and if I haven't learnt the technique, then shame on me!” he breaks into that boyish smile.
Department is a film about three men who get together to clean up the underworld. Gangster-turned-politician Amitabh Bachchan gives his nod to form a team within the police force called ‘Department' headed by encounter specialist Mahadev (Sanjay Dutt) who is assisted by Shivnarayan (Rana Daggubati). “These men are powerful and with power comes not just responsibility but also a heady feeling of being the ultimate authority. It is well-known that the system uses the police force for doing its work. The story here is about two cops whose views don't match. I am the one who flows with the system, and Rana has his ideals. I keep telling him if we go against the system, then we will be sent to godforsaken places! Take Pradeep Sharma (Mumbai's encounter specialist cop popularly known as Dirty Harry with 113-odd encounters to his name and later booked for an alleged fake encounter). Once a top cop, where is he now?” he asks. Sanjay's Mahadev is said to be based on Pradeep Sharma and his associate Daya Nayak. “I have met enough and more lawyers and inspectors for a good 20 years!” he says, with a hearty laugh, obviously alluding to his being on the wrong side of the law a couple of times. “But I can't say what I have picked up from whom.”
A learning experience
The actor is also pleased to have worked with the legend Amitabh Bachchan on the one hand, and the young actor Rana Daggubati, on the other. “It's always a learning experience to work with Amitji. Rana, I feel, can go places. He has the looks to handle any sort of role. He will definitely do well in Southern cinema, but in Hindi, I wish he concentrates on mainstream commercial films. I have tried my hand at all this parallel stuff. It doesn't work,” he says.
In a lighter vein, when asked why he seems to be getting roles that demand no heroines, he says, “I promise you that in the next film I do, I will have a heroine!” As for Department , Sanjay himself is shaking a leg to Amitabh Bachchan's Namak Halal song ‘Thodi si jo pee lee hai.' “It was scary to perform to Amitji's song. Anyway, when it comes to dancing I am no peacock. Add to that, he was with me in this film. I couldn't even do those loud dialogues with him, dancing was next to impossible. To be honest, I simply copied his moves and I ought to be grateful that he has this amazing quality of making other actors very comfortable,” he says.
About his last role as Kancha Cheena in the remake of Agneepath, Sanjay says, “It was such a difficult decision to accept the role of Kancha. I have played a bad guy before, but this guy was something else. He was ruthless and eccentric. It took me months to convince myself and I tip my hat to director Karan Malhotra who portrayed Kancha as the hero of the film. Even Hrithik, who is such a successful star of today, had no airs about him and went with the director's flow.”
Mean characters aside, Sanjay is a mean cook too. “Dal makhni, chicken jalfrezi, mutton, bhindi aloo, you name it. I can cook very well,” he laughs. The actor has a very down-to-earth approach to success as well. “I deal with success humbly. While it is good that films are making Rs. 200-250 crore, if I make a film with Rs. 30 crore and it makes Rs. 60 crore, I am overjoyed,” he says. An achievement in his life is he has had the opportunity to work with veterans such as Amitabh Bachchan, Dilip Kumar, Sanjeev Kumar and Shammi Kapoor. “We are really blessed to be part of this generation that has seen Indian cinema grow,” he says, talking about the 100th year of Indian films.
