Rs 735 crore riding on Sanjay Dutt: What is the future of Sadak 2, Shamshera, Prithviraj
Sanjay Dutt was recently diagnosed with Stage 3 lung cancer, and the actor announced that he will take a break from work for health reasons. However, with Rs 735 crore riding on him, what will be the fate of films like Sadak 2, Shamshera, KGF Chapter 2, Prithviraj, and others?
ollywood actor Sanjay Dutt has been reportedly diagnosed with adenocarcinoma of the lung, Stage 3. Lung adenocarcinoma is a sub-type of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The 61-year-old actor was recently admitted to Lilavati hospital as he complained of breathing discomfort. He also did a Covid-19 test and the result was negative. Dutt was under Dr Jalil Parkar’s treatment and was discharged from the hospital on August 10.
On August 11, Sanjay Dutt took to social media to announce that he is taking a break from the films for medical treatment and urged his fans not to worry or unnecessarily speculate.
He wrote and we quote, “Hi friends, I am taking a short break from work for medical treatment. My family and friends are with me and I urge my well-wishers not to worry or unnecessarily speculate. With your love and good wishes, I will be back soon (sic)”
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Currently, however, Dutt has six films in his kitty, and Rs 735 crores riding on him!
HERE’S A LOOK AT SANJAY DUTT’S PROJECTS
- SADAK 2 – Complete. Ready for release on Aug 28
- TORBAAZ – Complete. To release on OTT. Date to be decided.
- BHUJ: THE PRIDE OF INDIA – Complete. Ready for release on Disey+Hotstar. Date to be announced
- KGF CHAPTER 2 – 3 days of shoot left. First look unveiled on July 29.
- SHAMSHERA – 4 to 6 days of shoot left. A few scenes and patchwork pending.
- PRITHVIRAJ – Principle shoot pending. Only 40 per cent of the film has been shot.
Come August 28, and we will see Dutt reprise his role of a taxi driver named Ravi, from the 1991 film Sadak. The sequel, Sadak 2, also directed by Mahesh Bhatt, stars Alia Bhatt, Aditya Roy Kapur and Pooja Bhatt in pivotal roles. The film is made on a modest budget of approximately Rs 40 crore and will be streamed on Disney+Hotstar.
Another of Dutt’s film to stream on the OTT platform is Bhuj: The Pride of India. This multi-starrer, which will also see the likes of Ajay Devgn and Sonakshi Sinha, among others, is mounted on a budget of Rs 80 crore. Industry grapevine suggests that the digital rights of the Abhishek Dudhaiya directorial venture were bought for Rs 120 crore by Disney+Hostar, which is the second-highest for any Bollywood movie ever after the Akshay Kumar-starrer Laxxmi Bomb.
Dutt’s film Torbaaz, which was shot across different locations around the world including Afghanistan, Bishkek, Manali and Punjab, was completed in April 2019. The film, co-starring Nargis Fakhri, was scheduled to release in theatres in July 2020, however, due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, the film has been postponed. Directed by Girish Malik, Torbaaz was shot on a budget of Rs 25 crore.
While Sadak 2, Bhuj: The Pride of India and Torbaaz (the total of which is Rs 145 crore) are complete and ready for release, three of Sanjay Dutt’s films are currently in production – which amounts to Rs 590 crore.
Shamshera sees Dutt reuniting with his Agneepath director Karan Malhotra. Co-starring Ranbir Kapoor, this dacoit drama has approximately four to six days of shoot left, which includes few scenes and patchwork. In fact, the makers were planning to wrap up the film in the first week of August, but by the looks of it, Yash Raj Films (YRF) will have to wait till Dutt returns to work, post his treatment. The budget of this YRF action-adventure is estimated at Rs 140 crore.
Meanwhile, Sanjay Dutt has only three days of work left in his Kannada debut KGF Chapter 2, starring Yash. The sequel of KGF, which will be released in multiple languages, will illustrate a power struggle between Rocky (Yash) and Adheera (Sanjay). While the makers have a total of 20 days of shoot left, the producers will wait for Dutt to return after three months, to complete the film. Made on a budget of a whopping Rs 150 crore, KGF Chapter 2 is being directed by Prashant Neel and also stars Raveena Tandon in a cameo. On Dutt’s 61st birthday on July 29, the makers unveiled his look in the film, with this poster.
However, it is Yash Raj Films’ Prithviraj, a historical action drama, which stars Akshay Kumar and former beauty queen Manushi Chillar which will face the heat. Due to the Covid-19 restrictions, the film’s shoot was halted back in March, and according to reports, over 60 per cent of the film is yet to be shot. This Dr Chandraprakash Dwivedi directorial venture is estimated to have a budget of Rs 300 crore, including print and publicity.
