Canadian media tags Sanjay Dutt as terrorist

By IndiaFM News Bureau, August 10th, 2004 - 1630 hrs IST

Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt who was shooting for his next film Dus in Canada cancelled the shooting of his film right away and even vowed never ever to return to the country. This was in response to a report carried as a front-page cover story in a Canadian daily, Calgary Herald that questioned as to how Dutt was allowed to shoot in Canada despite facing illegal charges and allegedly having links with Islamic militants. The news headline read "Bollywood terror suspect in India stars in movie shooting in Calgary".

A deeply hurt and equally enraged Dutt, addressing to a press conference hosted for him by Indian-American fans on August 8, said that the report had upset him and his family intensely and has also maligned his image. He also added that he would never return to the country for shooting henceforth.

Dutt was arrested in connection with 1993 bomb explosions in Mumbai and was charged for illegally possessing weapons and ammunition. He was also jailed for a period of 18 months before being released on bail. Dutt was granted special permission by the Mumbai court to travel to Calgary and was also allowed to shoot in Canada by the Canada government. Ironically while the Canadian media tags Dutt as a terrorist, he plays an anti-terrorism agent working for world peace from Canada in Anubhav Sinha Dus. Incidentally both of Anubhav Sinha’s earlier films – Tum Bin and Aapko Pehle Bhi Kahin Dekha Hai were completely shot in Canada.

i think my man has been thru enough shit to be going thru anymore at this stage of his career !!!

and yet everything he's been thru he come out stronger and better and he'll ride this one out too!!!

I don't understand how he's still seen as a desirable public figure...Of course he wouldn't be allowed in civilised countries.

I think we need to stop making excuses for Sunjay Dutt and/or accept him as anything less than a criminal. For isn't one who commits a crime a criminal and Sunjay Dutt has definately commited a crime and that too one that is of a very serious nature in India that of owning and possessing banned illegal arms & weapons and also unliscensed arms & weapons. Not to forget associating with known underworld criminals and terrorists. Our society tends to forgive people like Sunjay Dutt just because of their family backgrounds and their star status. If it were some ordinary guy instead of Sunjay Dutt, he would still be languishing in jail.

I fail to understand what it is about the reports in the Canadian media that SUnjay Dutt is so upset about, after all everything stated is the truth because if it were not, he would or could surely have sued the concerned publication.

It was a Headline News in all major Canadian TV and Radio Networks.

"I don't understand how he's still seen as a desirable public figure...Of course he wouldn't be allowed in civilised countries."

"I think we need to stop making excuses for Sunjay Dutt and/or accept him as anything less than a criminal. "

Agreed