Amidst Sanjay Dutt’s biopic up for release, essayed by Ranbir Kapoor, the makers of Yash Raj Films have surprised their fans by announcing Shamshera. Sanjay Dutt will be seen in a negative role in this film opposite Ranbir Kapoor

Sanjay Dutt and Ranbir Kapoor

In what can be called the ultimate casting coup, director Karan Malhotra has got Sanjay Dutt to play the ruthless, merciless villain in Yash Raj Film’s period action-adventure Shamshera! He will be pitted against Ranbir Kapoor in the mega action spectacle. Interestingly, Shamshera will be Sanjay’s first ever film with YRF.

Talking about it Sanjay Dutt said, “My father and Yash uncle were very close friends and now that I’m doing my first YRF film, it is an extremely emotional moment for me. When I heard Karan’s idea to pit Ranbir against me, I thought it was just brilliant. I’m looking forward to shooting this incredibly exciting film, my second with the hugely talented Karan Malhotra.”

On the other hand, director Karan Malhotra says, “Shamshera is a highly ferocious and fearless character in the film. Therefore his nemesis, the villain had to be even more fierce and monumental in every aspect. Who’s better than Sanjay Sir to give us that impact on screen.”

This high-octane adventure film is set in the heartland of India and will have jaw-dropping action sequences and a never seen before Ranbir Kapoor.

Here is the teaser of the film Shamshera:

[embedded content]

Shamshera is set to go on floors end of this year and shooting will wrap by mid-2019.

Also Read: Sanju New Poster Marks The Anniversary Of Sanjay Dutt’s Debut Film Rocky

Catch up on all the latest entertainment news and gossip here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates

Let’s block ads! (Why?)

Prosthetic artist Dr Suresh Murkey on how 35-year-old Ranbir Kapoor transformed into 58-year-old Sanjay Dutt for Sanju

Ranbir Kapoor and Sanjay Dutt

Days after Ranbir Kapoor unveiled the teaser of Sanju, prosthetic specialist Dr Suresh Murkey has been showered with praise yet again. The renowned artiste has been credited for his finery in films like Guru (Abhishek Bachchan), The Dirty Picture (Vidya Balan), and Tanu Weds Manu Returns (Kangana Ranaut). This time, however, a solo film has enabled him to create four distinct looks for Kapoor, so that the latter can resemble Sanjay Dutt over the years.

Ranbir Kapoor’s different looks in Sanju

One assumes it must have taken multiple meetings with Dutt for Murkey to have memorised such nitty-gritties of his appearance. However, the artiste says that an interaction with the actor is still pending. “Rajkumar Hirani [director] gave me some photographs of Dutt through different stages of his life. It was based on the pictures that I designed Ranbir’s prosthetics. I took four sets of measurements of Ranbir’s face in order to minimise any scope of error,” says Murkey.

Dr Murkey

In a bid to replicate a young Dutt from the ’90s, Murkey worked on the lower half of Kapoor’s face. “I needed to make Ranbir’s jaw bone look different to resemble Dutt’s, and make his cheeks look puffy, especially near the lips. In order to add age to his face for the latter part of the film, prosthetics were worn on the upper part of his mouth so that his cheeks could look fuller near the nose and below the eyes,” he says, pointing out that his cue was the Bhoomi actor’s look when he was leaving jail. The prosthetics, he informs, were made out of acrylic and a mix that is used in dentures.

Catch up on all the latest entertainment news and gossip here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates

Let’s block ads! (Why?)

As teaser of Sanju receives appreciation, Ranbir Kapoor on how he was hesitant to take on Sanjay Dutt’s role for biopic

Ranbir Kapoor at Sanju teaser launch. Pic/Shadab Khan

With the teaser of Sanju having released yesterday, Ranbir Kapoor’s seamless transformation into Sanjay Dutt has been appreciated by his fans and naysayers alike. While director Rajkumar Hirani was convinced that only Kapoor could do justice to the multi-dimensional character, the actor revealed that he was initially hesitant about taking up the role.

“When Raju sir [Hirani] told me about this film, my first instinct was that I won’t be able to do this. I felt I didn’t have the courage and the acting chops to pull off this role. This is not just an acting gig for me. I took up this film as an opportunity to be part of a story of someone whom I consider my icon,” said Ranbir Kapoor of the project that will arguably go on to become one of the landmark films of his career.

Ranbir Kapoor and Sanjay Dutt. Pic/Sayyed Sameer Abedi

Although he knew Dutt socially, Kapoor said the script brought to the fore the different facets of the star that he was otherwise unaware about. “As a family friend, I have always known a different Sanjay Dutt. As his fan, I knew him as a style icon, knew his mannerisms and his swag. But when I read the script, it shocked me. From his drug [abuse] to his terrorism controversy, from his equation with his father [Sunil Dutt] to how the passing away of his mother [Nargis Dutt] affected him, everything shocked me.”

The biopic, which also stars Anushka Sharma, Sonam Kapoor, Dia Mirza, Paresh Rawal and Manisha Koirala in prominent roles, sees Kapoor sport six different looks as he traces Dutt’s journey from a 22-year-old debutant in Rocky (1981) to his release from jail in 2016. Talking about the physical transformation that he had to undergo for different portions of the movie, Kapoor said, “The shooting of the film was spaced out, so we had enough time to prepare. After every segment, I almost had a month to prepare for the next avatar. So, in that sense, it wasn’t difficult at all.”

Catch up on all the latest entertainment news and gossip here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates

Mid-day says: Sanju teaser a stunner
“Apna life full saap seedi ka board hai — kabhi up toh kabhi down,” says Ranbir Kapoor right at the onset of Sanju teaser. No whitewashing or glorifying here; if the teaser is any indication, for Sanju, director Rajkumar Hirani goes back to what he does best — say life’s simple truths with a pinch of comedy. While Abhijat Joshi and Hirani’s sharp scripts may have been the star of their previous outings, the sole star of the biopic is Kapoor. He slips into the character effortlessly — from being the burly-framed, long-haired Dutt of the early ’90s who lives life with abandon, to the slightly hunched 58-year-old incarcerated actor who has learnt life lessons the hard way. With Sanju, Kapoor may get that elusive hit. But more importantly, Dutt may get the perfect comeback film, even without featuring in it.

Let’s block ads! (Why?)