Turns out Bollywood's most awaited release of 2016 will not be a film, but rather actor Sanjay Dutt's earlier than expected discharge from prison.

On Tuesday, reports emerged that the actor will be a free man on March 7 after serving his sentence for his role in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts.

Dutt had served 18 months as an under-trial before being granted bail in 1996. In May 2013, he returned to jail to complete the remaining 42 months of his five-year term after the Supreme Court found him guilty of possessing illegal arms, despite acquitting him of terror charges.

The actor was slated to be released in November 2016, but it appears that good behaviour has worked in his favour. Official sources said that barring last-minute glitches, Dutt will walk out of the Yerwada prison in Pune in March, at least eight months early.

Twitter users reacted with sarcasm to the news of Dutt's release, with many feigning ignorance that the actor was ever incarcerated considering the number of times he has been granted parole on various grounds. In August, he was allowed to leave jail for a month because of his daughter's poor health. The Bollywood star had been out on parole on at least four occasions previously for between a fortnight to a month, drawing much public criticism for the "VIP treatment".

But there was also a dose of humour on social media as fans anticipated the actor's Bollywood future. Here's a selection: