Payment in EMI

The shadow of imprisonment may be looming large, but Sanjay Dutt still has no shortage of takers. The actor, whose brand value has shot up phenomenally over the last few years after the success of the Munna Bhai films, has been roped in by producer Shabbir Boxwala for a rumoured Rs 6 crore for his next film EMI.

When contacted, Boxwala didn’t deny the figure. “These days, one has to pay huge amounts to sign top-grade actors and Sanjay Dutt is one of the handful of A-list actors,” he says. “However, I can’t comment on his exact remuneration.”

Besides Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan is said to draw the biggest paycheck in Bollywood currently, closely followed by Hrithik Roshan.

EMI, directed by newcomer Saurav Kabra, casts Urmila Matondkar opposite Dutt. “It’s a big-budget multi-starrer,” says Boxwala, who is reluctant to announce the rest of the cast although he has already begun shooting in Mumbai. Boxwala has asked Dutt for a start-to-finish schedule before his bail schedule expires on October 20. “I’m not aware of the legal details, but we’ll complete the film in a start-to-finish schedule,” he says.