Bollywood stunned over Sanjay's sentence

Mumbai, Jul 31: A stunned Bollywood today reacted with 'shock and disbelief' at the news about actor Sanjay Dutt being sentenced to six years rigorous imprisonment by the designated TADA court in the 1993 blasts case.

With nearly Rs 100 crore riding on the actor, who has became a sort of a screen icon after the recent super success of films like ''Munnabhai MBBS' and 'Lage Raho Munnabhai', the film industry was hoping that the actor would be let off with a minor sentence.

Sanjay's recent releases were 'Eklavya' and ' Shootout at Lokhandwala', a moderate box-office success.

Sources close to filmmakers like Vidhu Vinod Chopra,director Raj Kumar Hirani and superstar Hrithik Roshan said given the sensitive nature of the judgement, nobody would like to give any statement immediately.

Talking to sources, filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt said, ''Sanjay's ongoing nightmare does not seem to end. I feel extremely sad at the judgement against him. But, Sanjay committed a reckless act of possessing a weapon and hence he has to face the consequences.'' Bhatt, who cast Sanjay in movies like ''Naam'', 'Sadak' and''Gumraah'', said that in November last year, there was an element of hope after charges under TADA were dropped against him.

''All of Sanjay's well wishers were hoping for a lighter sentence.

We were not prepared for six years rigorous imprisonment. But, I think Judge Kode has been just. There is no reason to hope that the judge would have differentiated between Sanjay and other accused.'' Bhatt said the film industry will naturally have its financial concerns, but expressed hope that the issue would be sorted out.

Trade analyst Amod Mehra said the industry was in a state of shock. ''Sanjay is a good man and enjoys tremendous love and affection in the industry. This is from an emotional point of view.

Whereas the financial position of the industry is concerned, there were only few underproduction films like Sanjay Gupta's 'Alibag', Sanjay Gadhvi's 'Kidnap', the shooting of which had just begun, and Abbas-Mustan's (Mr Fraud) which was in the making for a long time.

Indra Kumar's Dhamaal is ready for release in September. However, the fate of seven-eight films which were being planned with him like 'Munnabhai chale Amrika' will be in a limbo,'' he added.

Mr Mehra said after 'Lage Raho Munnabhai' and 'Shootout at Lokhandwala', Sanjay was at the top. ''There are very few top heroes left in the industry and Sanjay was one of them. He is a versatile actor and it will be too premature to retire him even after he returns'', he felt. '

Film-maker Ashok Pandit said the judgement against Sanjay was sad. ''It is an emotional loss to the entire film industry,'' he said. ''We will continue to stand by him and his family and are confident that he will come out of all his problems,'' Mr Pandit said. Actor Anupam Kher said ''I feel sad for Sanjay, his daughter and the entire family.'' Sources close to Sanjay's family said the family members were in the court or in the vicinity when the sentence was announced.

All the actor's friends later gathered at the 'Imperial Heights', the Pali Hill residence of the Dutts, to be with the family members, who were in a state of shock.

UNI