Sanjay Dutt’s lawyers may have begun to explore all possibilities of getting him out of jail at the earliest, but for a Gandhian group in Mumbai, he is at the moment perfectly placed to play the role of brand ambassador for Gandhian thought.
The Mumbai Sarvodaya Mandal, an institute that promotes and propagates the Mahatma’s philosophy, periodically conducts examinations on Gandhi's life and thought for prisoners in jails across the state.
They had just about begun distributing study material to prisoners willing to give the exams scheduled for 2 October (Gandhi Jayanti) when the TADA court sentenced Dutt to six years’ RI.
Now, they want the Munnabhai-on-screen to chip in with more than a bit of Gandhi giri. They will soon approach and request him to not only appear for the exam in jail but to also urge other inmates to write the paper and follow Gandhi’s philosophy.
The Mandal also holds regular screenings of Lage Raho Munna Bhai in various prisons. So, it would also like Dutt to speak to the inmates immediately after the screening so that the film could’ve a greater impact and, if needed, have a one-on-one counselling sessions with some inmates the way Munna Bhai does on a radio station in the movie.
TRK Somaiya, programme co-ordinator of the Mandal, which has its office at Grant Road, said, "We will request Dutt to be our brand ambassador by sitting for the exams, requesting other inmates to do the same and speaking after every screening of his film. After every screening, our trust members usually give a speech, but the message will be far more effective if the speech is delivered by Dutt. He could have a huge impact on the prisoners and spread Gandhian thought if he does this."
