Sanjay Dutt Opens Up on Playing Villain in South Movies: 'Rape Katt Gaya Hai Lekin...'

Actor Sanjay Dutt is set to captivate audiences once again, this time as the antagonist in the Telugu film Double iSmart, directed by Puri Jagannadh and starring Ram Pothineni. During a promotional event in Mumbai, Sanjay opened up about his preference for playing villainous roles, particularly in South Indian cinema, and why he finds them so appealing.

When asked about his fascination with negative roles, Sanjay explained, “I think it’s a challenge for me to do a South Indian film, and playing a villain is a great space to explore. You get to do a lot—there’s action, intensity, and depth. You get to beat people up, and you get beaten up too. It’s exciting!” He then humorously added, “Rape katt gaya hai lekin woh… (Of course, certain things like rape scenes are no longer allowed, which is a good thing. But overall, these roles offer an actor a lot to work with, especially after doing so many films).”

On whether he would ever return to romance on screen, Sanjay said, “Yes, I’d love to do a romantic film again if the right project comes along. But our generation has always catered to the mass audience. We’re ‘massy’ heroes. I did Saajan back in the day, which was a great film with beautiful songs. So yeah, if a good romantic script comes my way, I’d be interested.”

Sanjay also shared his experience of working on Double iSmart, particularly praising his co-star Ram Pothineni and director Puri Jagannadh. “We’re all fans of Puri Jagannadh. Like Ram said, he kind of changed Telugu cinema by bringing in that swag and coolness. I’m thankful to him for making me a part of Double iSmart and casting me as Big Bull. Working with Ram was an absolute pleasure; he’s like a younger brother to me. He’s a fantastic performer and a hard worker, and we had a blast shooting together in Dubai and other locations.”

Double iSmart, in which Sanjay plays the formidable Big Bull, is slated for release on August 15 in multiple languages, including Hindi. Following his menacing role as Adheera in the blockbuster KGF: Chapter 2, Sanjay has been flooded with offers from the South film industry. He recently starred in Lokesh Kanagaraj’s 2023 hit Leo and will soon appear in Prem’s Kannada film KD – The Devil alongside Dhruva Sarja.