Sanjay Dutt, the megastar of the 1990s and an eternal favorite of the masses had a fairly tepid 2018. His biopic film ‘Sanju’ starring Ranbir Kapoor as Sanjay Dutt however found success at the box office and is the highest grossing Bollywood film of 2018.
‘Sanju’ released in theaters on 29th June 2018 and as of Jan 2019 it has minted around INR 586.85 crores worldwide. Dutt had a special appearance in the film.
In 2018, Sanjay had just one film release with him in a starring role. The romantic drama thriller movie ‘Saheb, Biwi Aur Gangster 3’ directed by Tigmanshu Dhulia and co-starring Jimmy Sheirgill, Chitrangada Singh, Mahi Gill, and Soha Ali Khan sank at the box office without a trace.
Dutt has many films that are up for release in the years to come. Listed below are a few of them; some may see the light of day, while some may get shelved.
- Kalank: This multi-starrer film produced by Karan Johar, Fox Star Studios, and Sajid Nadiadwala and directed by Abhishek Varman will see the re-unification of yesteryears heartthrob couple Sanjay Dutt and Madhuri Dixit-Nene. Other leads in the movie include Varun Dhawan, Alia Bhatt, Sonakshi Sinha, Aditya Roy Kapur, and Kunal Khemu. Shooting started in April 2018 and the film is slated for a theatrical release on April 19, 2019.
- Panipat: This historical war period drama movie will be directed by acclaimed director Ashutosh Gowarikar. Sanjay Dutt will play the role of Ahmad Shah Abdali. Other lead cast members are Arjun Kapoor and Kriti Sanon. The movie will hit the theaters on December 6, 2019.
- Houseful 4: As of Jan 2019, Dutt has joined the cast of Housefull 4 which features Akshay Kumar, Bobby Deol, Ritesh Deshmukh, Kriti Sanon, and Pooja Hegde in the lead roles. Produced by Sajid Nadiadwala and Fox Star Studios, this comedy flick is slated for a Diwali 2019 release in theaters.
- Shamshera: It is an action adventure period movie with Ranbir Kapoor as the main lead. Yash Raj Films is the producer and Karan Mahotra the director. Vaani Kapoor was cast in the role of a popular and desirable travelling dancer/performer while Sanjay Dutt will play the main antagonist. The movie has the 1800s as its background and recounts the story of a dacoit tribe who fight against the British imperial rulers for their freedom and rights. The first-look poster featuring Ranbir as a bearded dacoit was released in May 2018. Shooting started on Dec 1, 2018 and the film will hit the theaters on Eid weekend, 31st July 2020.
- Sadak 2: This sequel to the 1991 superhit movie Sadak will star Alia Bhatt and Aditya Roy Kapur as the main leads. Pooja Bhatt and Sanjay Dutt will reprise their ‘Sadak’ roles in this film. Mahesh Bhatt may probably direct the film and Mukesh Bhatt’s Vishesh Films will be the producer. The theatrical release date has been tentatively set as March 25, 2020.
- Munnabhai 3: Nothing has been finalized as yet, but Munnabhai 3 is rumored to be the next directorial venture of Rajkumar Hirani after Sanju. The third installment of the Munnabhai series, this comedy drama may have a 2019 theatrical release.
- Marco Bhau: It is an action drama film and Dutt will essay the role of a stuntman. The film will be directed by Shelly Chopra, the sister of Vidhu Vinod Chopra, while Vidhu will be the producer. Marco Bhau is also rumored to release in 2019.
- Blockbuster: Directed by Sandeep Singh, this multi-starrer movie will see Sanjay in a comic role. The release date has not been finalized.
- Prasthaanam: A remake of Telugu movie Prasthanam, this Deva Katta directed flick will star Sanjay Dutt, Manisha Koirala, Ali Fazal, and Amyra Dastur in the lead roles. Sanjay Dutt Productions will produce the drama film. The release date has not been finalized as yet. Shooting for the film was supposed to begin on June 1, 2018, the birth anniversary of Dutt’s mother Nargis.
- The Good Maharaja: As per reports Omung Kumar will direct Sanjay Dutt in this drama film after Bhoomi. The release date has not been finalized.
- Malang: This much delayed venture has debutant Aarambhh Singh as its director and stars Sanjay Dutt and Huma Qureshi as the main leads. The release date of this romantic drama has not been finalized. T-Series’ Bhushan Kumar will produce the film along with Omung Kumar and Sandeep Singh.
- Hasmukh Pighal Gaya: This drama-comedy flick will star Amitabh Bachchan, Sanjay Dutt, and Jackie Shroff in the lead roles. Sejal Shah will direct the film and Dutt will produce it. The release date has not been finalized.
- Eleven (11): This action thriller will star macho men Sanjay Dutt, John Abraham, and Vidyut Jammwal in the lead roles. Anubhav Sinha will direct the movie. The release date has not been finalized.
- Torbaaz: This is another Sanjay Dutt starrer that has been delayed for a long time. The film is about child suicide bombers. Directed by Girish Malik, the movie has Nargis Fakhri in the role of an NGO-running Afghan girl. Dutt will essay the role of an army officer. It is rumored that the film will hit the theaters in 2019.
