"Sanjay Dutt is just unbelievably creative, a real artist" says '7 Dogs' director Adil El Arbi

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], August 25 (ANI): The India release of international action thriller '7 Dogs' not only brought together talent from India, the Arab world, Europe, and Hollywood, but it also opened fresh possibilities for greater collaboration between Indian and global film industries.
Directed by Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, the film features Egyptian stars Karim Abdel Aziz and Ahmed Ezz alongside Monica Bellucci, Martin Lawrence and Giancarlo Esposito. Bollywood stars Salman Khan and Sanjay Dutt make special appearances, which have received considerable love from Indian audiences.
Speaking about Sanjay Dutt, and his experience in the country, Bilall, in an interview, said, "He's just like a brother. When I was in Mumbai with him, I just fell in love. He showed me and took me to the authentic places, and I just fell in love," as quoted in a press release.
He also spoke about wanting to return to India: "I just want to keep on going back to India and just keep on making movies. And hopefully we can create a movie or series together. Sanjay is just unbelievably creative and is a real artist".
The directors' interest in India, however, predates '7 Dogs'.
Directors El Arbi and Fallah have spoken about their longstanding love for Indian cinema, with Shah Rukh Khan-starrer 'My Name Is Khan' being the first Indian film they watched.
The filmmakers have also expressed an interest in continuing to collaborate with Indian stars, particularly Shah Rukh Khan, underlining the potential for 7 Dogs to become more than a one-off international collaboration.
In a previous conversation with ANI, Adil El Arbi shared the reason behind the casting of Salman and Sanjay, saying that it was the idea of Turki Alalshikh, chairman of the General Entertainment Authority (GEA) and the writer of the film.
"Turki Alalshikh, His Excellency, was the one who came up with the idea and the concept of the movie. It's like his dream cast. He himself is a big fan of Salman Khan and Sanjay Dutt, and he proposed these great stars to us. Honestly, there are so many more stars. I think that if there comes another Seven Dogs that's longer in Mumbai, then we can have even more actors," he said. (ANI)