We will emerge as winners, don't fall prey to rumours: Maanayata Dutt on Sanjay Dutt
Mumbai: A day after actor Sanjay Dutt announced a break from films for medical treatment, his wife, producer Maanayata Dutt said the Bollywood star is a "fighter" who has always emerged winner amid adverse conditions, while urging fans to not fall prey to speculations.
The 61-year-old actor was admitted to Lilavati Hospital over the weekend after complaining of breathlessness.
He was discharged from the medical facility on August 10, and put a statement on Tuesday announcing he would be taking a "short break" from professional commitments to focus on medical treatment.
Sanjay Dutt also requested well-wishers to not speculate about his health amid rumours that he has been diagnosed with lung cancer. In a statement to PTI on Wednesday, Maanayata Dutt thanked people for their well wishes for her husband's speedy recovery.
"We need all the strength and prayers to overcome this phase. There is a lot that the family has gone through in the past years but I am confident, this too shall pass," she said.
The producer, however, appealed to the people to refrain from speculations.
"However, it is my heartfelt request to Sanju's fans to not fall prey to speculations and unwarranted rumours, but to just help us with their ongoing love, warmth and support.
"Sanju has always been a fighter, and so has our family. God has yet again chosen to test us to overcome the challenges ahead," she said.
"All we seek is your prayers and blessings, and we know we will emerge as winners on the other side, as we always have. Let us use this opportunity to spread light and positivity," Maanayata added.
Sanjay Dutt is the eldest child of late Bollywood stars Nargis and Sunil Dutt. He has two sisters -- Priya Dutt and Namrata Dutt.
He has two children, a son and a daughter, with Maanayata Dutt. He also has a daughter Trishala Dutt from his first marriage to Richa Sharma. She died of brain tumour in 1996.
Sanjay Dutt's producer friend Rahul Mittra also asked fans and media to exercise restraint.
"This is all speculation, the reports have not come out yet. It is not confirmed whether it is there or not. At the moment, there is no confirmation about his illness and details about it. He has got his tests done.
"I request everyone to exercise constraint... He has been a fighter and always will be. He has been interacting with his fans and well wishers both before going to hospital and after getting discharged. We should wait for his statement rather than speculating and wish him all the best," Mittra told PTI when contacted.
On the work front, Sanjay Dutt has three films up for release on digital platforms.
While "Sadak 2" and "Bhuj: The Pride of India", will premiere on Disney+Hotstar, action-thriller "Torbaaz" will stream on Netflix.
He will also star in the second installment of "KGF" and "Shamshera", alongside Ranbir Kapoor.
In 2019, the actor had featured in three movies -- Ashutosh Gowariker's period drama "Panipat", Karan Johar-produced "Kalank" and political drama "Prassthanam".
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
AI-powered robotic canal cleaning system commissioned in Thiruvananthapuram
Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) (PTI): In a major step to phase out manual scavenging and ensure the safety of sanitation workers, the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation commissioned G-Spider, an AI-powered robotic canal-cleaning system, at the Amayizhanchan canal near the railway station premises at Thampanoor here, officials said on Thursday.
The system was launched by Minister for Local Self-Governments MB Rajesh at a function presided over by Thiruvananthapuram Corporation Mayor VV Rajesh on Wednesday.
The AI-powered canal cleaning project is a joint initiative of the city corporation and Technopark-based Genrobotic Innovations, which developed Bandicoot, a robotic scavenger.
As per the agreement, Genrobotics will bear the full cost of deploying the robotic system, while the corporation will supervise its operation and maintenance.
Speaking at the event, the minister said Genrobotics has set an example of how innovative ideas can be transformed into impactful entrepreneurship.
He said that of the seven compressed biogas (CBG) plants to be commissioned in the state for solid waste management, one will be set up in the state capital.
Rajesh said Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will inaugurate the Rs 100-crore CBG plant at Brahmapuram in Kochi on February 28, adding that 90 per cent of the nine lakh metric tonne of accumulated waste at the site has already been removed.
He further said work on the Palakkad plant will be completed in February, while construction of another plant in Thrissur is progressing, and a plant at Changanassery is in the pipeline.
The minister added that the construction of four sanitary plants will be inaugurated next week.
In his address, the mayor reiterated the corporation’s commitment to leveraging cutting-edge technologies for waste management and lauded the Genrobotics team, stating that the civic body would explore all possible ways to utilise the company’s technology.
Repeated manual cleaning efforts in the area had led to serious safety incidents, including the death of sanitation worker Joy in 2024.
In this backdrop, the corporation initiated the deployment of robotic cleaning technology in strict compliance with the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, with the aim of eliminating human entry into hazardous canal-cleaning operations, officials said.
Corporation Deputy Mayor Asha Nath GS, Divisional Railway Manager Divyakant Chandrakar, and Genrobotic Innovations CEO and co-founder Vimal Govind MK were present on the occasion.
G-Spider is designed to operate in complex, high-risk canal environments without requiring human entry.
Built on a cable-driven parallel robotics architecture integrated with AI-enabled vision and sensor systems, the robotic platform enables precise detection, assessment and removal of accumulated waste.
The system uses machine vision and intelligent sensors to autonomously identify and assess waste in real time, dynamically adapting to varying waste types, water flow conditions and structural constraints within canals, officials said.
Guided by AI-driven vision algorithms, the robotic mechanism performs precise waste extraction through a five-degrees-of-freedom configuration, enabling accurate positioning, stable gripping, and reliable debris removal.
The extracted waste is automatically transferred to designated collection vehicles, enabling a fully hands-free, end-to-end canal cleaning process from detection to disposal, they added.
