Click to play videoMumbai: A far cry from the criminal that the courts paint him out to be, Sanjay Dutt is a friend, a mentor and a brother to Bollywood actors and filmmakers. Even unit hands swear by the actor's generosity.
From spot boys and unit-hands to actors and filmmakers, few have an unkind word to say about Sanjay Dutt. Much like his most popular on-screen avatar Munnabhai, Dutt too is regarded as the loveable rogue by those who have worked with him on the sets.
A compulsive prank-player, the actor is known to regale film units with naughty jokes and often stories of his own amorous liaisons.
In an industry where actors rarely step out of their air-conditioned vanity vans, Sanjay Dutt could almost always be spotted outside his van, biding his time in between shots, surrounded by make-up men, spot boys, lighting boys and the like.
On practically every film set he has worked, the actor is believed to have established friendly relations with unit members whom he often helped financially. Paying for their family's medical bills, giving them some of his expensive clothes, even buying presents for their children.
Dutt is as much a friend of the filmmaker as he is of unit workers. Producers are happy to work with Dutt over and over again, because he's an actor who understands the problems that producers face.
Although punctuality can't be counted among his virtues, he's an actor who works long hours to complete the day's schedule so that producers don't lose money. When they do because of him, he's known to reimburse them for losses, to slash down his fees, and even urge other actors to reduce their fees.
His own personal staff – his secretary, his make-up man, his driver, his spot-boy -- have stayed with him for years. And swear by the actor's generosity.
Dutt's personal secretary Kalim Khan says, “It has been a long association. I miss him dearly. I'm only waiting for him to return."
To his colleagues in Bollywood, he is a friend, a mentor, even a brother. Abhishek Bachchan has nothing but fond memories of shooting with Dutt, who gave him advice on losing weight and getting fit.
Zayed Khan received friendly acting tips from his Dus co-star, and most recently DJ Aqeel got an earful from the actor after he returned from Dubai where he was detained for allegedly carrying party drugs.
To all those who know him, Sanjay Dutt is nothing like the man they read about in the papers. That is a side of his they are completely unfamiliar with. For Bollywoodwalas, it's a side they conveniently wish to pretend does not exist.
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