Bollywood star Suniel Shetty, who is set to grace the premiere episode of Star vs. Food Survival show, reveals who initially started calling him Anna.
Bollywood stars and close friends Suniel Shetty and Sanjay Dutt are all set to join a survival show hosted by celebrity chef Ranveer Brar. The duo will join Ranveer in an unusual trip as they navigate through the wild. They will be covering a 15km trek through the untouched terrains of rural Coorg as they put their mental and physical abilities to the test.
As they gear up for this exciting adventure, Suniel Shetty shared his insights on his friendship with Sanjay Dutt in a recent interview.
Actors Suniel Shetty and Sanjay Dutt have worked together in several films including Dus (2002), Shootout at Lokhandwala (2007), and No Problem (2010). The duo has now reunited after 13 long years for the culinary show Star vs Food Survival.
Suniel Shetty revealed that Sanjay Dutt gave him the ‘Anna’ title
During the month of March, Shetty was part of a talk show hosted by Shehnaaz Gill where he said that initially Sanjay Dutt and Amitabh Bachchan started the trend of calling him ‘Anna’ (Brother).
Celebrities are often addressed by their nicknames in close circles and the nickname ‘Anna’ is synonymous with Suniel Shetty in Bollywood. Shetty says that he absolutely loves it when someone calls him Anna instead of Suniel. “It means elder brother and they say it out of respect. It only shows you how strongly people love you,” he adds.
In a recent chat with The Indian Express, Sunil Shetty revealed that his friendship with Sanjay Dutt dates back to their time together on the sets of the film Kaante. He further says that during this period Dutt gave him the nickname “Anna”.
He shared, “Not many know that the title Anna was given to me by Dutt. We were shooting for Kaante and my staff used to call me Anna, as in elder brother, and he too started doing the same.” And that’s how everything started.
Shetty on his bonding with Sanju Baba amidst 9/11
Suniel Shetty went on to reveal how he and Sanjay Dutt managed through the challenging period of the 9/11 attacks.
He recalls how they had just landed in Los Angeles when the incident happened. Shetty said, “We had to stay closer to the unit, not step out. It was a tough time…But we stayed together and became each other’s strength.” He adds that he still remembers how they used to share the food and make memories together.
Shetty’s concern over ‘Lack of Unity’ in Bollywood
While recalling the initial phase of his career, Shetty expressed what he feels about the industry in the current scenario. He deep dives into Bollywood and states that in today’s world, no one would come to your rescue if people started throwing stones at you, and adds that the “voice” is no longer there.
He reminisced how the actors would bond over food on the sets but in the current scenario, they immediately step into their vanity vans after the shoot, leading to a sense of disconnection.
He further expresses how the actors were there for each other before and had a united voice but now the voice has not remained and everything has become weak.
Shetty’s work front
Suniel Shetty who is known for his work in Mohra, Border, Dhadkan, Awara Paagal Deewana, Hera Pheri, and Phir Hera Pheri has a big bucket of highly awaited projects for his fans. From Welcome To The Jungle to the most awaited film in Indian cinema, Hera Pheri 3.
The actor will reunite with Akshay Kumar and Paresh Rawal for the third installment of the iconic Hera Pheri franchise. Sadly we would not have Priyadarshan directing the film but let’s hope that the fans are served with something exciting in the film.
