Actor nearly drives off with a real revolver while shooting a scene for Ram Gopal Varma's 'Department'

Just like motorbikes have a strong affiliation with John Abraham, it seems that guns have a connect, albeit a strange one, with Sanjay Dutt.

During the shoot of Department in Bandra recently, the actor almost drove off with a real revolver. Fortunately for him, he was stopped just in time.

Apparently in Ram Gopal Varma's next, a few real, but unloaded guns have been used in a scene involving the police department. This particular incident took place during a schedule at Mehboob Studios.

"It so happened that after an extensive scene, one of the fighters absentmindedly kept a revolver on the backseat of a car.

He didn't know that Sanjay himself would be driving this car out in the next scene that was being shot outside the studio on public roads, " says a source, adding that the actor, too, was oblivious about the firearm on the back seat.

Our source further reveals that it was only after Sanjay drove off in the vehicle, the unit in charge of the guns realised that one was missing.

State of panic

Our informer elaborates, "In just a couple of minutes they realised that the gun was out travelling with Sanjay.

So naturally they panicked, for he'd have to produce the relevant papers if he was accosted by the patrolling cops who didn't know he was shooting."

A couple of unit members drove off out to catch up with the actor to retrieve the gun from his car. "Despite the camera recording Sanjay's movements, the unit members had no option but to interrupt the shot.

"Initially, everyone got angry that the shot had been disturbed, but when Ramu, Sanjay and the others learnt the cause of the interruption, they understood the urgency, " adds the source.

The source maintains that real revolvers were used for the shoot as fake guns would be easily detected. "We procured the requisite permissions to use real revolvers for the shoot, " he quickly informs.

Action choreographer

Javed declined to comment. Nonetheless, our source reiterates, "It's a tricky issue as real revolvers were used. No one wants to go on record lest some real trouble invites itself over."