The Bhootnii, starring Sanjay Dutt, is the most recent instalment in the horror-comedy trend that is now dominating Bollywood. When it debuted in theatres on May 1, 2025, it made about ₹3 cr in its first weekend, which is a good start for the genre. The film has gotten a digital makeover, with its quirky campus-haunted romance and ghostly one-liners reaching a bigger, comfortable living room audience ready to laugh and scream.
Why Sanjay Dutt in The Bhootnii Feels So Refreshing
It’s so darn invigorating to watch Sanjay Dutt shed his usual don or gangster image and slip into the uncharted waters of a ghostbuster baba—an eccentric exorcist with gadgets, Sanskrit chants, swagger and a sense of the absurd. Dutt himself called horror‑comedy “one of the toughest genres to crack” but embraced it full throttle, calling this role “fun to play” and loaded with mass appeal.
Seeing him tussle with a campus spirit obsessed with love under a “Virgin Tree”, balancing palpable scares and witty banter? That’s a wild makeover. It’s a bold pivot from his familiar persona. No more grim underworld shades, just spicy supernatural swagger.
5 Offbeat Sanjay Dutt Roles That Broke The Mould
Here are 5 of his most unorthodox performances, where Sanju shook up typecasting:
1. Nandu in Daud (1997)
Sanjay Dutt gives up his action-hero persona in Daud (1997) and dives straight into a hilarious road comedy. He portrays Nandu, a small-time criminal who is recruited to deliver an enigmatic item. However, when it is revealed to be a nuclear weapon, mayhem breaks out. Sanjay handles humorous chases, oddball characters like Neeraj Vora’s Chacko, and well-known songs like “Shabba Shabba” and “O Bhavre” (music by A.R. Rahman) while accompanied by Urmila Matondkar‘s fiery Bhavani. On the run, Dutt’s charisma and humorous spark are sheer fun, even when the plot frequently defies logic.
2. Suraj in Khatarnaak (1990)
Sanjay plays Suraj in Khatarnaak, a seasoned orphan who is shaped into a vicious gangster by his criminal tutor Dhabariya. When he meets Dr. Sangeeta Joshi, his icy exterior slowly softens and he begins to struggle with his morals. His fight to get away from the violence that characterises him grows stronger as his love does. Suraj is a dynamic combination of vulnerability and menace as the movie follows redemption attempts amid the grim underworld. The actor’s desire to take on tormented, ethically difficult roles is demonstrated by Sanjay’s emotional gravitas in this portrayal as a troubled antihero divided between love and survival.
3. Inspector Kabir Naik in Dhamaal (2007)
Sanjay plays Inspector Kabir Naik in the comedic caper Dhamaal. He is an honest but unfortunate police officer who was sent to a small village after failing to apprehend a well-known scammer. Straight-laced law becomes a comedic pursuit when four unlucky treasure seekers discover clues that lead to concealed loot, and Kabir joins the frantic quest for stolen crores throughout Goa. Combining mass-appeal boldness with smart restraint, Kabir becomes a comic straight man to greed-driven characters, straddling the line between authority and ridiculousness. Sanjay’s portrayal of an unconventional hero, law-abiding, witty, yet deliciously outshone by comic chaos, is excellent. It’s a playful take on his often intense style.
4. Johnny in Nehlle Pe Dehlla (2007)
Sanjay Dutt departs significantly from his typical high-octane action character in Nehlle Pe Dehlla (2007) and ventures into the realm of outrageous humour. He portrays Johnny, a sly little criminal who joins forces with Jimmy (Saif Ali Khan) to sneak into a five-star hotel while posing as waiters. However, they become embroiled in a murder-and-treasure case that involves a corpse that moves to their ridiculous music. It’s slapstick served with a sparkle—less muscle, more mischief.
5. Vicky Verma in Adharm (1992)
In Adharm, Sanjay Dutt brings charm and moral conflict to Vicky Verma, the younger son in the fractured Verma family. Vicky finds himself caught between being faithful to his family and unwittingly participating in betrayal as his evil uncle Jaggan masterminds a plot that imprisons his good brother. He labours under his uncle’s criminal shadow, motivated by a sense of brotherly responsibility and plagued by injustice. Vicky struggles with identity, forgiveness, and revenge when fate compels the brothers to face familial betrayal. An unusual part that demonstrates Dutt’s capacity to play complex, tormented characters, his portrayal of this torn soul combines emotional depth with interior strife.
Why These Roles Matter
Each one of these performances upends expectations of Sanjay Dutt’s range. From gangster to Gandhi‑copier, cross‑dresser to demon hunter, they’re emblematic of a star who refuses to stay pigeonholed. His willingness to experiment—not just in The Bhootnii, but across decades—marks him as one of Bollywood’s few truly restless performers.
Final Serve: Sanjay Dutt in The Bhootnii
By embracing his most unconventional character yet, Sanjay dives into horror-comedy with gusto. He becomes the ghostbuster baba—a mass‑appeal spiritual warrior who fights ghosts armed with wit, slokas and swagger.
The Bhootnii taps into Bollywood’s obsession with the genre, demonstrating how horror‑comedy still thrills audiences with creative fun and fright. And Sanjay Dutt’s acting legacy? It’s bold, different, and exactly the kind of genre‑bending twist we live for.
