At 56, Sanjay Dutt is said to have been signed for two action flicks, but how tough will it be for him to pull off action scenes and make it look believable? Bollywood action directors give their insights
Sanjay Dutt
It has barely been three weeks since Sanjay Dutt walked out of prison as a free bird, and filmmakers have been jostling with each other to get him on board their projects. We hear the 56-year-old has been bombarded with action film scripts, two of which he is believed to have greenlighted — Siddharth Anand's next (apparently a remake of Arnold Schwarzenegger's 1985 film 'Commando') and Puri Jagannadh's untitled film.
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Sanjay Dutt
Both films, we hear, will be packed with high-octane, jaw dropping action sequences akin to those seen in Hollywood movies. But with age catching up with Sanju baba, how tough will it be for him to pull off action scenes and make it believable? Veteran action director and stunt coordinator Shyam Kaushal feels age won't be a hindrance. "All the action that we design are story-driven. I am sure whoever is working with Sanjay Dutt will design the action as per the demand of the story and his character. So, when a character is conceived well in advance, action sequences are also planned accordingly."
Stunts also depend on the physical strength of an actor, but it has got more to do with one's mental toughness. "We alter action scenes if an actor is not comfortable. But let me tell you, Sanjay is just 56 while Hollywood actors like Sylvester Stallone who are 60-plus are also doing action," he adds.
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Agrees stunt director Parvez Shaikh. "Akshay Kumar (48) has also aged but he is physically and mentally strong and says yes to almost every stunt. I am working with Salman Khan right now for Sultan and he is performing most of the action himself. If an actor is not able to perform, then we use body double," he says, adding, "We also rehearse with actors in big halls, but when we go on set, we have limited time and resources at our disposal. So, we make changes to our plan at times. But most actors give their 100 per cent and do complete action scenes themselves."
Ali Abbas Mughal, who has worked on several action-intensive films, including recent ones like Akshay-starrer 'Baby' (2015), refers to a Hindi saying to express his point that age is just a number.
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"Bandar chaahe kitna bhi budha ho jaaye, gulati maarna kabhi nahi bhoolta. I have worked with Sanjay in 'Agneepath' (2012) and 'No Problem' (2010), and he is a thorough professional. His intensity to work still remains what it was when he was young. He works seriously and dedicatedly on set. We do not consider the age of an actor. Moreover, we carefully plan what action will suit a character," he explains.
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