Throwback: The mahurat of Vaastav: The Reality 25 years ago was a MEMORABLE affair; Sanjay Dutt performed THIS iconic scene at the event

By Fenil Seta -

January 5, 2023 - 6:31 PM IST

Sanjay Dutt has essayed many iconic roles in his 40-year-old career. Vaastav: The Reality (1999), however, stands out. As the common man-turned-gangster Raghu, he got into the skin of the character and wowed audiences and critics alike. Bollywood Hungama has now learnt that the mahurat of the film was also a very memorable affair.

Throwback: The mahurat of Vaastav: The Reality 25 years ago was a MEMORABLE affair; Sanjay Dutt performed THIS iconic scene at the event

According to Komal Nahta’s Film Information Magazine’s December 20, 1997 issue, the mahurat was held at Mumbai’s The Leela Hotel on December 14, 1997. The trade guru called the event ‘a well-planned and a well-executed one’. Sanjay Dutt’s father Sunil Dutt gave the clap while Jackie Shroff switched on the camera. The late politician Gurudas Kamat lit the traditional lamp along with lyricist Javed Akhtar.

Sanjay Dutt then performed one of the greatest scenes of Vaastav: The Reality and also of Hindi cinema, at the mahurat. In an important scene in the film, Raghu returns to his house after turning into a don. He flaunts his wealth in front of his family members and also informs them that he has a gun. He even points the gun at his father’s (Shivaji Satam) head while his mother (Reema Lagoo) and friend Kishore (Deepak Tijori) look on, dazed and shocked.

This significant scene was recreated at the mahurat, though there were a few tweaks. The sequence in the film moves at a slow pace while at the mahurat, the pace was quick. Also, Raghu points the gun towards his mother. In the end, the ‘Vaastav Theme’ is played as suddenly four men, dressed in black and representing the evil forces, surround Raghu and take him captive. A video of this event is also available and if you are a fan of Vaastav: The Reality, you should not miss it at any cost.

Besides Sanjay Dutt, Shivaji Satam, Deepak Tijori and Reema Lagoo, Vaastav: The Reality also starred Namrata Shirodkar, Mohnish Bahl, Sanjay Narvekar, Paresh Rawal and Ashish Vidyarthi. It tells the story of Raghu, a lower middle-class boy who sets up a pav bhaji stall with the help of his locality friends. All is going well until one day; Raghu and his friend get abused by members of a particular gang. One thing leads to another and Raghu ends up murdering them. Thus begins his journey of becoming one of the most dreaded gangsters in the city.

Vaastav: The Reality was directed by Mahesh Manjrekar and released nearly 2 years after the mahurat, on October 15, 1999. It was a box-office success especially in Maharashtra, due to the local flavour. It helped Sanjay Dutt win his first-ever Filmfare Award, for Best Actor.

Komal Nahta in this issue also revealed that the invitation of the mahurat was sent along with a clock to the industry and media members. The gifting of the clock was justified as the invitation card read ‘It’s TIME to face the reality’!

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