Veteran Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt recently stirred headlines after expressing his disappointment over how his character was handled in the 2023 Tamil film Leo, directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj and starring Thalapathy Vijay. During the teaser launch event of his upcoming film KD: The Devil, Sanjay Dutt candidly mentioned that his role in Leo did not do justice to his potential as an actor. His comments quickly gained traction and sparked conversations across the industry.

Sanjay Dutt, who played the role of Vijay’s father in Leo, felt underutilized in the film. While speaking at the KD event, he expressed that the depth and strength of his character were not explored properly. The statement surprised many, especially considering the collaboration was seen as a major highlight when the film was released.

In response, director Lokesh Kanagaraj addressed the situation during an interview with The Hindu Reporter. He revealed that Sanjay Dutt had personally called him after the event. “He told me, ‘I made a comment in a fun way, but people cut it out and it’s being misunderstood. I didn’t mean it like that, Loki.’ I assured him that it was okay,” Lokesh said, clarifying that there were no hard feelings between the two.

Lokesh also humbly acknowledged that he may have fallen short in how he portrayed Dutt’s character in Leo. “I’m not a genius or the greatest filmmaker who gets everything perfect every time,” he admitted. “I’ve made many mistakes in my films, and I see this as part of the learning process. Hopefully, in the future, I’ll get to write a stronger role for Sanjay Dutt.”

Meanwhile, Lokesh is currently working on his highly anticipated film Coolie starring superstar Rajinikanth, where Sanjay Dutt and Aamir Khan are also expected to appear in significant roles. On the other hand, Sanjay Dutt is gearing up for KD: The Devil, an action-packed drama directed by Prem, slated for release in 2026. The film boasts an ensemble cast including Dhruv Sarja, Shilpa Shetty, Nora Fatehi, and others.

Despite the brief moment of tension, both Sanjay Dutt and Lokesh Kanagaraj seem to have moved forward with mutual respect, leaving room for an even stronger collaboration in the future.