MUMBAI: Sanjay Dutt has done what many of the biggest banners of Bollywood including Yashraj Films, couldn’t. He has managed to convince Raj Kumar Hirani to direct a film for Sanjay Dutt Productions (SDP). Hirani, it is well- known, is a diehard Vinod Chopra Productions director. Nothing and nobody could convince him to move to a different banner.

In fact two years ago Rishi Kapoor offered Hirani a chance to direct Ranbir Kapoor in a home production for RK Films after seeing Lage Raho Munnabhai. Hirani politely turned down the offer. So what could’ve convinced Hirani to finally direct a film outside home ground? “It was simpler than one would think,” says a source.

“Sanjay Dutt actually took permission from Vidhu Vinod Chopra. The two of them share a very warm rapport ever since Sanju worked in Vinod Chopra’s Mission Kashmir. There was no way Mr Chopra, known to be extremely possessive about his crew, could say no to Sanju.”