Actors Sanjay Dutt, Shilpa Shetty, and Dhruva Sarja were in Mumbai on Thursday for the grand teaser launch of their upcoming Kannada action film KD—The Devil. During the press interaction, Sanjay Dutt didn’t hold back when asked about his growing preference for southern film industries over Bollywood. The veteran actor expressed disappointment in the Hindi film industry, suggesting that it has lost the very thing that once made it great — passion.
Speaking candidly about what he takes away from his experience working in southern cinema, Sanjay said, “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. It’s not about numbers. Everything is about numbers back in Bollywood. But it’s not about numbers, it’s about passion.”
He also opened up about working in the Telugu industry, especially his experience with superstar Prabhas on the upcoming film The Raja Saab. “I’m trying to learn Telugu because I’m doing one film with Prabhas. He makes me eat a lot. He is one of the most amazing, wonderful people and a great actor,” Sanjay said with a laugh.
In a heartfelt moment, Sanjay went on to praise some of the biggest names in the South. “I love Chiranjeevi sir. He’s done Munna Bhai out here. I share a beautiful relationship with him. God bless him,” he said, adding that Nagarjuna is “like a brother” to him and Ram Pothineni is a “wonderful boy.”
Sanjay also joked about the delay in his southern debut, saying, “It took me so much time to work here because aap logon ne bulaya nahi, aap bulao main aa jaaun (you never invited me before, invite me and I’ll come).”
KD—The Devil is slated for a theatrical release on July 10, 2026. Meanwhile, Sanjay has a packed slate, with Akhanda 2 and The Raja Saab in Telugu, Dhurandhar and Baap in Hindi, and Sheran Di Kaum Punjabi in Punjabi.