/> Realism has never been more in demand. And Sanjay Dutt who until recently was doing mainly fantasy is now on the realistic route. He'll soon start Raj Kumar Santoshi's film set during the Partition. Dutt also plays a real-life cop in Rahul Dholakia's Lamhaa set at the heart of Kashmiri militancy.

And now Sanjay Dutt will take time off to play a real-realife cop who waged a fierce battle against terrorism in Punjab at the peak of Khalistan movement.

Apoorva Lakhia long in hibernation after the ill-fated Mission Istaanbul is all set make a comeback with a film on the cops who battled Khalistani extremism.

The terror situation in Punjab during the 1970s and 80s will be recreated through rigorous research on that period. Lakhia says the film will occupy the same gritty real-time-real-space as his film Shoot-out At Lokhandwala.

Sanjay Dutt will be playing a real-life cop, one among a group who helped exterminate extremism in Punjab. Amitabh Bachchan will also play a real-life cop in this ‘period' sharp shooter.

"It will be in the same genre as Shoot-out At Lokhandwala, " says Lakhia about the fim Asthvinayak is producing. The last time we visited ‘Khalistan' it was for Gulzar's dark intense and lyrical Maachis. Lakhia's film tends to take another more gritty brutal and violent route.