By:
Subhash
K.
Jha,
IndiaFM
Monday,
August
06,
2007
It
has
been
a
time
of
extreme
stress
for
the
Indian
entertainment
industry.
While
one
of
Sanjay
Dutt's
unreleased
films
Indra
Kumar's
comedy
Dhamaal
is
dubbed
and
all
set
for
release,
the
future
of
his
other
projects
including
his
friend
Sanjay
Gupta's
Alibaug
which
Dutt
showed
for
about
a
week
before
abandoning
,
stands
in
severe
jeopardy.
As
for
Raj
Kumar
Hirani
whose
Munnabhai
brand
cannot
stand
on
its
own
without
Dutt's
presence,
he
seems
to
have
gone
into
a
shell.
The
third
part
of
the
ongoing
Munnabhai
series
entitled
Munnabhai
Chale
Amrika
now
stands
suspended,
unless
producer
Vinod
Chopra
decides
to
make
it
with
another
actor
in
the
lead.
Says
a
source,
"That's
quite
unlikely
because
Vinod
is
extremely
emotional
about
Sanju
Dutt.
They've
worked
together
in
Mission
Kashmir
.And
Sanju
has
gone
on
record
to
say
he'd
always
work
for
Vinod
without
asking
about
his
role."
However
a
message
sent
from
Raj
Kumar
Hirani's
cellphone
by
his
assistant
says,
"Mr
Hirani
wouldn't
like
to
speak
on
Sanjay
Dutt's
verdict
or
other
issues.
Hope
you'll
understand."
Silence
may
be
golden.
But
not
too
many
of
Hirani's
colleagues
in
the
industry
are
adopting
that
method
of
diplomatic
reticence
which
is
so
characteristic
of
the
wary
industry.
There's
vocal
outrage
in
the
industry.
Everyone
seems
to
feel
Sanjay
Dutt
has
suffered
enough.
His
close
buddies
like
Suniel
Shetty
and
Sanjay
Gupta
have
for
now
abandoned
work
to
chalk
out
a
future
plan
of
action
to
relieve
Dutt's
legal
pressure.
Producers
who
have
incomplete
films
on
hand
say
they
are
ready
to
wait
for
as
long
as
it
takes
for
Dutt
to
come
out
of
jail.
A
pall
of
gloom
now
shrouds
the
industry.
No
one
is
in
the
mood
for
celebrations.
Anil
Kapoor
has
never
shared
a
very
warm
relationship
with
Dutt.
Nevertheless
he
cancelled
the
Mumbai
premiere
of
his
prestigious
Gandhi
My
Father.
Says
Kapoor,
"Suddenly
my
excitement
about
my
film
went
down.
I
did
hold
a
a
pre-release
screening
of
Gandhi
My
Father
for
close
friends.
But
there
was
no
proper
premiere."
Ravi
Chopra
had
planned
a
lavish
premiere
for
the
colorized
revival
of
his
father's
classic
Naya
Daur
along
with
the
release
of
a
book
celebrating
58
years
of
the
banner
B.R.Films.
Says
Ravi,
"It's
unfortunate
that
we
had
to
cancel
our
Naya
Daur
premiere.
It
was
going
to
be
attended
by
the
film's
lead
pair
Dilip
Kumar
and
Vyanjanthimala.
But
Sanjay
Dutt's
verdict
cast
a
pall
of
gloom
in
the
industry.
The
book
The
BR
Story
which
won't
be
for
commercial
sale
but
a
momento
for
everyone
associated
with
this
banner
will
now
be
released
in
a
small
function
whenever
the
time
seems
right."
Anubhav
Sinha
who
cancelled
the
premier
of
his
lavish
Cash
is
heartbroken.
"I
couldn't
have
made
Dus
without
Sanju's
support.
He
got
me
all
the
big
stars
from
Suniel
Shetty
and
Abhishek
Bachchan
to
Shilpa
Shetty
.
Nobody
would've
worked
with
a
small
director
like
me
if
it
wasn't
for
Sanju.
When
I
heard
the
verdict
I
just
lost
my
zest
for
the
release
of
Cash.
So
much
suffering
for
Sanju.
Not
fair."
Sinha
echoes
the
entire
entertainment
industry's
sentiments.