Sanjay Dutt met Gujarat CM Modi to discuss building a hi-tech film studio in his state

Sanjay Dutt is very keen to set up a film studio in Gujarat --along the lines of Hollywood's Universal Studio. The actor met the Gujarat CM Narendra Modi on Monday.

A source close to Dutt says, "There was nothing political in Sanju's objective in meeting Narendra Modi. Sanju and some like-minded friends think B-Town requires a film studio like Universal, and since such a project is logistically not viable in Mumbai (what with land prices and lack of huge open spaces) they decided to look at the neighbouring state."

Also Mumbai already has a it's own studio -- Film City.

Only the best
Dutt is very clear that he doesn't want to replicate Film City in Gujarat. "He wants the Gujarat studio model to be along the lines of top international studios -- he might even look at a tie-up with Universal, if necessary.

He met the Gujarat CM to ask for allotment of land to build the studio model. Sanju's model is of a self-sufficient one which will have each and every aspect of filmmaking -- from carpentry to special effects.

Dutt visited Ahmedabad in Gujarat after two years and came away very impressed. "He found it almost unbelievable how Gujarat has progressed in Modi's reign. The CM was receptive to the actor's idea."

Work and play
One aspect of the film studio is to allow stars to buy land and build homes, close to the studio. The source explains, "Ahmedabad and Surat are very close to Mumbai and Sanju feels if actors are given plots of land they can build their homes and stay there while shooting like Jeetendra had done when he would shoot in Hyderabad.

This would give actors incentives to relax after a day's shoot at a coffee shop nearby and then go home."

Dutt says, "Yes I went to meet Modisaab on Monday. His vision is fantastic! It's unbelievable how Gujarat has grown tremendously in the last couple of years -- in infrastructure and in every way."