The son of superstars and an ’80s pin-up, Sanjay Dutt was charged with the illegal possession of firearms after the notorious Bombay Blasts of 1993. After the longest trial in Indian legal history, Dutt was due to be sentenced in early 2007, but was also contracted to finish filming Apoorva Lakhia’s actioner Shootout At Lokhandwala, which was inspired by maverick cop A. A. Khan’s ambush of mobster Maya Dolas.
Chronicling the chaos of the shoot, Liz Mermin captures the surreality of making movies, while also considering Bollywood’s link with the underworld. But it’s her profile of a fallen idol that’s most revealing, as Dutt combines the charisma of Robert Mitchum with a heroic commitment to his craft.