Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt, facing a six-year sentence for illegally possessing firearms, Thursday got the Supreme Court's permission to go abroad for shooting his films, including 'Blue'.

A bench of Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishnan also asked Dutt to complete the shooting by Sep 30.

The bench, which included Justice R.V. Raveendran and Justice M.K. Sharma, while ordering the designated anti- terrorism court of Mumbai to release Dutt's passport to enable him go abroad, asked Dutt to return his passport to the Mumbai court by Sep 30.

Senior counsel Fali S. Nariman, appearing for Dutt, pleaded to the court that the actor has to go to Malaysia, Thailand and the US to complete the shooting of his two films and he would be able to complete his work by Sep 20.

Dutt had moved the court March 13, seeking permission to go abroad for film shooting.

In his petition filed through advocate Hari Shankar, Dutt sought release of his passport, impounded by the designated anti-terrorism court of Mumbai, to enable his foreign jaunts.

Dutt's passport has been impounded by the court as a condition for his release on the bail, granted by the apex court. The Supreme Court's verdict in pending on his petition challenging his conviction and six-year sentence for illegally possessing firearms in the run-up to the 1993 serial bombing of Mumbai.

A few days before Dutt filed his petition, the court denied permission to go abroad to Bollywood film producer Samir Hingora, convicted in the 1993 Mumbai serial terror bombing case.

The chief justice's bench refused permission to Hingora, out on bail now, to go abroad, saying if he was so keen to go abroad, he should first spend the remaining term of his nine-year sentence in a prison.