Sanjay Dutt is juggling schedules, family time like a pro
Turning 31 today, the actor looks at this birthday as an opportunity to retrospect
Sangeeta Yadav
Most actors in showbiz don’t feel comfortable talking about their age. But, when has actor Parineeti Chopra followed the herd? Turning 31, today, the Ishaqzaade (2012) actor says that with each passing year, she is getting wiser and is evolving as a person.
Busy shooting for her upcoming films — the official Hindi remake of the American thriller, The Girl on the Train (2016) and the biopic on badminton champion Saina Nehwal — besides dubbing for Frozen 2 with sister Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Parineeti talks about turning a year older, and how she plans to spend the day in Alibaug, Mumbai with family and friends. Excerpts:
How does it feel to be turning 31? The older you grow, the wiser
If you enjoy what you are doing, then you can wear many hats with elan. Sanjay Dutt is doing exactly that. The actor is not just working on as many as five films back-toback, but also helping wife Maanayata Dutt in ensuring their production house backs credible narratives. He’s doing all this without compromising on his family time.
Sanjay is also focused on playing characters that are different from each other. While in KGF 2 he plays an you become, and this birthday, I truly feel that I’ve evolved. By doing these two intense films, The Girl on the Train and Saina, I think it has changed me as a person. This is the first time I’m taking my birthday seriously than I have ever in the previous years.
So has the idea of a birthday celebration changed now?
My birthday always used to be about parties or celebrations. But, this year, it’s about thinking about my life, who I am, what I want, what I’ve achieved, where do I see myself in the coming years, and what is important to me. After working back to back, I’m planning to take a break for a day or two and, thereafter, resume my shooting for Saina’s biopic.
Any special plans today? Three people who are closest antagonist, Ashutosh Gowarikar’s upcoming period saga, Panipat, will see him essay the role of Afghan King Ahmad Shah Durrani. And in Sadak 2 he plays a substance abuse survivor.
The actor is also a part of Karan Malhotra’s Shamshera , in which he is Ranbir Kapoor’s arch nemesis, and in Torbaaz, he essays the role of an army officer.
A source close to the actor shares that Sanjay wants to surprise his fans with his to me — my manager Neha, my makeup artist Mitali and the director of Girl on the Train, Ribhu sir (Dasgupta) — have decided to throw a party for me in Alibaug, Mumbai. They’re renting a villa and calling all my friends over to spend the day.
A lot of actors don’t feel comfortable sharing their real age. What is your take on this?
I find it to be the most ridiculous thing to do. It’s not something to be embarrassed about. It’s just the number of years you’ve spent on the earth. I don’t understand what’s there to hide! I just laugh at this.
Is growing older in any way a concern for you?
Not at all. I’m proud of it. As actors, I understand that we need to look young and fit all the time, but what has that to performances. “Sanjay has been juggling like a pro between his hectic schedules and projects. All five roles are vastly different from one another. To sink into a character and understand its mechanism has been a challenging process for him, but he is putting his best foot forward to ace them all,” the source says.
While he has several shoots to do girl, then it was better I stuck to TV,” says the 31-year-old.
But don’t mistake this as Ragini saying she doesn’t value what the goody good image did to her career. She says, “I’m thankful I’ve done only eight roles in a career do with the age? We can look fit at any age.
You have teamed up with your sister Priyanka Chopra Jonas to dub for Frozen 2. How did it come about?
When I watched Frozen, I never thought that I’d get to dub for its sequel. It’s my most favourite animation film. The beauty of Frozen 2 is its cast — real-life sisters playing the reel-life sisters. The characters, Elsa and Anna, are like us in real life. Mimi didi and I always used to talk about doing something together one day. When Frozen 2 came, it felt right. justice to, Sanjay has managed to keep himself “super calm and composed through the process as he believes that patience is the key to dealing with such a tied-up schedule,” says the source.
“Amidst all this, he makes sure that he does not compromise on the time spent with his family and ensures spending quality time with them, too,” adds the source.
Shreya Mukherjee
Shreya Mukherjee