Sanjay Dutt says Bollywood has lost ‘passion’ for cinema, unlike south Indian film industries: Everything is about money

While promoting his upcoming Kannada film, KD—The Devil in Mumbai, Sanjay Dutt got candid about Bollywood.

Actors Sanjay Dutt, Shilpa Shetty, and Dhruva Sarja attended an event in Mumbai on Thursday to launch the teaser of their upcoming Kannada film KD—The Devil. Talking to the press there, Sanjay got candid about why he was picking more films down south than in Bollywood, opining that the film industry now lacks ‘passion’.

Sanjay Dutt at the teaser launch of his upcoming film KD - The Devil in Mumbai. (AFP)

Sanjay Dutt on Bollywood lacking ‘passion’

Sanjay was asked what he ‘takes back’ having worked in Tollywood and other south film industries now, and he said he takes back the ‘passion’ which Bollywood lacks now. “I take back the passion (from Tollywood), which Bollywood has lost. And I hope it comes back. That’s what I miss back home, the passion to make a good film,” he said, adding, “You know, it’s not about numbers. Everything is about numbers back in Bollywood. But it’s not about numbers, it’s about passion," he said.

On working with Prabhas and more

Sanjay also spoke at the event about working with Prabhas in Maruthi’s The Raja Saab, commenting on how much the actor has fed him. “You know what, I am trying to learn Telugu because I’m doing one film with Prabhas. I am doing a film called The Raja Saab. He makes me eat a lot, Prabhas. He is one of the most amazing, wonderful people and a great actor,” said the actor.

Unprompted, he added that he ‘loves’ Chiranjeevi, stating, “And I love Chiranjeevi sir. He’s done Munna Bhai out here. I share a beautiful relationship with him. God bless him.” While talking to the press, Sanjay also called Nagarjuna, with whom he worked in Chandralekha (1998), a ‘very close friend, like a brother’, and called Ram Pothineni, with whom he worked in Double iSmart (2024), a ‘wonderful boy’.

The actor then said that it took him a long time to work in south Indian film industries because no one approached him. “It took me so much time to work here because aap logon ne bulaya nahi. Aap bulav mai aajau. (It took me so much time to work here because you guys didn’t call me. You call me, I’ll come),” he added.

KD—The Devil is slated for release on 10 July 2026. Before that, he will star in Akhanda 2 and The Raja Saab in Telugu, Dhurandhar and Baap in Hindi, and Sheran Di Kaum Punjabi in Punjabi.