Actor Emraan Hashmi today said that he felt sorry for Sanjay Dutt, who has been sentenced to five years in jail by the Supreme Court for illegal arms possession during the 1993 serial Mumbai blasts

"I feel sorry for the punishment awarded to Sanjay Dutt in the 1993 Mumbai blast case. He has suffered a lot. I have much respect for him, he is like my guru. My prayers are with him, " Emraan said here. The actor was talking to reporters in the city while promoting his upcoming film 'Ek Thi Daayan' which will hit the screens on April 19.

He welcomed the Censor Board's move to give U/A certificate to this film. "It is a good decision to award a U/A certificate to 'Ek Thi Daayan', as children have played a big role in the film. They are the hero of the film. "Children will enjoy the film a lot as this story has been taken from our folklore and it is not at all gory.


This will enable those below 18 years to watch the movie in the theatres. It will also help in increasing the viewership, " Emraan said. "Ever since I was a child, I enjoyed horror films and that is why I am very happy to play a role of a magician in this movie, " he said. Besides Emraan, the film, which is directed by Kannan Iyer, also stars Huma Qureshi, Konkana Sen Sharma and Kalki Koechlin.

Emraan thinks that though script plays an important role, it should be supported by promotion campaign. "Marketing is one of the most important factors behind the success of the film. That is why the unit members of the film have been trying to visit as many cities and towns in the country as they can, " he said.