In a conversation with ANI, Subhash Ghai mentioned that several leading actors expressed interest in playing the role of Ballu in Khalnayak.Anil Kapoor, in particular, even offered to go bald for the character. However, Subhash insisted on casting the actor who best suited the role, ultimately choosing Sanjay Dutt. He praised Sanjay’s ability to portray both a “dangerous” persona and an “innocent” character as needed for the role.
Subhash Ghai revealed that during the filming of Khalnayak, Sanjay Dutt suggested that Ghai perform each scene first, and then Dutt would replicate the director’s actions when the cameras were rolling. Ghai insisted that Dutt follow his directions, stating, “I told him to do what I instruct. He said, ‘You act, and I will copy you,’ and indeed, he replicated my actions precisely in all the scenes of Khalnayak.”
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Right after the filming of Khalnayak, Sanjay Dutt faced a significant setback as he was arrested on charges of possessing arms and his purported involvement in the 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts. Subsequently, he received a five-year prison sentence and ultimately served his term, completing it in 2016.