RGV, Sanjay Dutt re-shoot Department climax

By Subhash K. Jha -

May 7, 2012 - 11:30 AM IST

RGV, Sanjay Dutt re-shoot Department climax

Ram Gopal Varma's latest offering Department about the nexus between crime, punishment and the law is getting more interesting by the day.

Recently one reported on Sanjay Dutt shooting a promotional song for the film on his own. Now comes the rather jolting report that the entire climax featuring a fight between Sanjay Dutt and Rana Daggubati has very recently been re-shot, and this time with director Ram Gopal Varma's consent.

Says our source, "When Sanju and Ramu saw the climax, Dutt felt something was lacking, not in terms of technique or grandeur but Sanju felt the merger of drama and action between the two encounter cops could go a lot further. You see, Dutt and Rana playing two encounter cops who decided to fight it out are not locked in a Dabangg kind of fight. Rana and Dutt do fight it out man-to-man fist-to-fist. But there is also a very powerful emotional undercurrent in their climactic conflict. Sanju felt this synthesis of physical and emotional conflict could be better achieved, if the climax was re-shot."

Apparently, Ramu initially argued against re-shooting. But he finally gave in. The climax was re-shot in utmost secrecy last week. And the results were spectacular. Ramu being the first to admit it.

Says our source, "After seeing the revised climax, Ramu immediately told Sanju that re-shooting was a great idea and that the film looks much better."

Interestingly, the climax was not all that was re-shot. We believe the iconic Amitabh Bachchan track 'Thodisi Jo Pi Li Hai' from Namak Halaal (originally composed by Bappi Lahiri, remixed for Department by Bappi's son Bappa) which was filmed on a sozzled Sanjay Dutt and Rana Daggubati, has also been re-shot.

Says a source close to the project, "The idea was to make Department look bigger grander more epic in scope than Ramu's other cops-and-gangsters films. Blessedly, Ramu realized the creative revision was for the betterment of the product. So there was no stress over the changes."