Sanjay Dutt can’t impress his kids Shahraan and Iqra! Guess who their favourite actor is

After over four decades in the film industry, Sanjay Dutt is now exploring new horizons in South Indian cinema. This year, he’s set to appear in the Telugu film The RajaSaab and the Kannada film KD – The Devil. Though a recent entrant to the Southern film space, he’s excited about the diverse roles coming his way.

‘We should just go back to our roots’

Known for iconic roles in films like Vaastav: The Reality (1999), Munna Bhai MBBS (2003) and Agneepath (2012) among others, Dutt believes that Bollywood needs to revisit the kind of cinema it once celebrated. He says, “I wish these kinds of films are back as this is exactly what we are lacking today. We should just go back to our roots.”


‘I encourage my kids to complete their education’

So, does his passion for movies extend to his teenagers Shahraan and Iqra? Do they see themselves following in his footsteps? “They do watch movies, but I am not their favourite actor and that’s okay (laughs). They like Tiger Shroff and the younger lot, which is good. I encourage them to complete their education and go to university. After that, they can take a call about what they want to pursue,” Dutt replies.

‘I love shooting down south’
Talking about south films, the actor says, “It’s a great place to be in. Their sensibility of cinema is what we have had all our lives – to cater to the masses, to enhance the hero on screen and to do all that which I think Bollywood has forgotten to do now. I hope it comes back. I must say that south filmmakers make their films with a lot of passion and sadly, that passion is missing from our industry now. I love shooting there.”



‘There’s so much love in my nickname Baba’
Affectionately referred to as ‘Baba’ by fans and the industry, Dutt – who splits his time between Mumbai and Dubai – likes it when he is addressed by this nickname. Recollecting how he got it, he shares, “My father (Sunil Dutt) used to take me on sets with him sometimes, when I was a kid. People used to see me and say, ‘Baba aa gaya, baba aa gaya’. And that is how it started. There’s so much love in that name.”