Veteran actor Sanjay Dutt has reflected on the changing culture of Bollywood, saying the film industry has become far more competitive and less united than when he began his career more than four decades ago, reports Hindutan Times.
Speaking to Dr D. Nageshwar Reddy on AIG Hospitals’ YouTube channel, Dutt looked back on his 45-year journey in cinema and said the industry’s close-knit atmosphere has gradually disappeared.
“When I started, the industry felt like a family. Everyone was together and everyone was helping one another. Now it’s become much more cut-throat, much more competitive. It’s sad, but I hope it comes back,” he said.
The actor also drew comparisons with Hollywood, praising its sense of unity and support among artists.
“In Hollywood, everybody is together. They’re friends. It’s competitive, but it’s very healthy. The actors are together, the writers are together, and there are industry bodies that support everyone,” he said.
Referring to the Academy Awards, Dutt added that he admired the way Hollywood stars celebrate one another’s achievements.
“Whenever an actor goes up to receive an award, there’s no jealousy. You can genuinely see everyone celebrating each other. It’s beautiful,” he said.
The comments come shortly after Dutt reunited with longtime friend Salman Khan.
Salman recently shared photographs on Instagram showing the two actors embracing, delighting fans who praised their enduring friendship.
Sanjay Dutt was last seen in the political drama Aakhri Sawal, directed by Ahijeet Mohan Warang.
The film, which also starred Namashi Chakraborty, Aamir Sadh and Sameera Reddy, received poor reviews and underperformed at the box office.
The actor is now preparing to reprise his iconic role as Ballu in Khalnayak Returns, a new interpretation of the 1993 blockbuster.
Speaking at a recent event in Mumbai, Dutt revealed that the idea for the sequel first came to him while he was serving time in jail in connection with the 1993 Mumbai blasts case.
He recalled asking fellow inmates whether they would like to see a sequel, claiming thousands responded positively and even contributed story ideas.
After his release on parole, he shared the concept with filmmaker Subhash Ghai, who later agreed the film should be made.
