Mahesh Manjrekar reveals Sanjay Dutt shot Vaastav while attending court daily; says a ‘big actor’ called him ‘patthar’: ‘Usko kuch nahi aayega’

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Explaining that securing financing was much more challenging back then, he said that the process of filmmaking was even more difficult. “Everyone thought that the film had been shelved since we didn’t shoot for one year. When Sanju was in Hyderabad, he called me and asked me to bring the rush print to show it to people. Though we did, nothing came of it. One day, Shyam Shroff of Shringar Films saw the footage and liked it. He decided to buy the Bombay deal (distribution rights) for Rs 50 lakh and gave an advance of Rs 25 lakh. We continued shooting until that money ran out,” he shared, adding that they ultimately completed the film by selling distribution rights for different regions, such as Delhi and Uttar Pradesh, one by one. During this period of financial uncertainty, Manjrekar went on to shoot Astitva (2000) before returning to finish Vaastav.

During the conversation, he also revealed that some people initially doubted Dutt’s acting abilities. Recalling a phone conversation with a “big actor” whom he had known since his theatre days, Manjrekar said: “He asked me who I was working with. When I mentioned Sanjay Dutt, he exclaimed, ‘Arrey, woh patthar hai; usko kuch nahi aayega‘ (He is like a stone; he can’t act). I said, ‘Talk to me after the film releases. I’ll make sure he does a fantastic job.’ Nobody could have done the role as good as him.”