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His is a life that makes for a good novel or blockbuster movie script. And since biopics are hot in Bollywood right now we hear that a film on Bollywood’s most controversial yet loved star is in the making.
Sanjay Dutt is not an ordinary man, the son of Nargis and Sunil Dutt and a Bollywood superstar. The actor has over the time proved to be controversy’s favourite child. A look at his past and you will see – drugs, underworld, affairs, break ups, marriages, divorces and of course the most recent time in and out of jail. While Dutt will walked out free from the Yerwada jail in Pune today, even his exit was not short of drama. No we aren’t talking about his chopper ride from Pune to Mumbai or then the protests and PIL (Public Interest Litigation) filed against the actor. Sanjay himself declared that “there is no easy road to freedom”, he touched the ground outside the prison wall and saluted the national flag. And it was indeed very FILMI!
No wonder Sanjay Dutt as a subject is of great interest to writers and filmmakers and it is no surprise that his friend filmmaker Rajkumar Hirani is planning a movie on Munna Bhai‘s real life that will feature Ranbir Kapoor. While we have heard from the industry folks how Sanjay Dutt is a man with a golden heart here’s a look at the many facets and controversies of Sanjay aka Baba that we have seen over the years…
#The Deadly Drug phase: Yes, the actor was in school while he got embroiled in the ugly world of drugs. Reports suggest that a young Sanjay found it tough being the son of two Bollywood superstars and got into drugs while he was still studying in school. Apparently his mother, Nargis’ death (in 1981) ahead of his big Bollywood debut only happen to worsen Sanjay’s condition, who became an addict. The actor then went to the United States for treatment and returned back to resume work in films.
#Love Aaj/Kal: Sanjay Dutt got involved with his Rocky co-star Tina Munim the duo split after a brief affair of two years in 1983. It was during his visit to the rehabilitation centre in the US that Sanjay met his first wife Richa Sharma. After a brief affair the couple got hitched in 1987 and in the subsequent year they had a baby (Trishala Dutt). Richa was diagonised with brain tumour in a couple of months after the baby and she moved back to the US to live with her family there. Dutt who had separated with his wife lost custody of his daughter to his in-laws after a bitter battle.
Sanjay continued with his Bollywood career which had started taking an upward curve he also found love in his co-star Madhuri Dixit. Their affair lasted until Sanjay Dutt got embroiled in the 1993 Bombay Blast case. The duo however got back together some time around Khalnayak, but parted ways soon. It was also said that Sanjay had a brief affair with Lisa Ray, who was supermodel back then though neither of the parties confirmed any of this.
Dutt got married for a second time to socialite Rhea Pillai in 1998. Rhea stood by Sanjay through his toughest times as he served the sentence in jail for a little over a year in the 1993 Bombay Blast case. Cracks soon appeared in Rhea and Sanjay’s marriage and it was revealed that the reason for this split was Dutt’s involvement with Kaante co-star Nadia Durrani. Rhea and Sanjay officially split in 2005 a year when Sanjay lost his biggest pillar of support, father Sunil Dutt. In 2008 Sanjay’s marriage to now wife Manyata made headlines. It came as a shocker to many that the couple was hitched in a ceremony which was neither attended or acknowledged by his family (read sisters: Namrata Dutt and Priya Dutt), who had stood by the actor in his leanest phase. Soon after there were talks of how Sanjay’s sisters did not approve of Manyata.
#Family & politics: Sanjay’s biggest support system throughout his rough phase in life was his family. However, thing got bad after Dutt tied the knot with Manyata. It came as a shocker when Sanjay ditched Congress, a political party that was endorsed by his father and of which his sister Priya Dutt had become the face of. Nobody imagined that Sanjay would leave his sister’s side and support Amar Singh’s Samajwadi Party. There were also property matters that is said to have ruined the brother-sisters relationship and Manyata was held responsible. However, Dutt patched up with his sisters in 2010 and the trio became one happy family again. When the Supreme Court upheld the verdict and sentenced Sanjay Dutt to five years of rigorous imprisonment Sanjay made an appearance alongside his sister Priya and even broke into tears before the cameras. Clearly the way Priya lent her shoulder to her brother proved that their bond was as strong as ever.
#Underworld connection and the leaked tape: It was believed that this leaked tape of Sanjay Dutt talking to Chhota Shakeel ruined his friendship with Govinda. What was worse is that after the tape leaked Govinda and Sanjay had a verbal brawl on the sets of one of their films. While both Govinda and Sanjay have told in the media that they are friends. People close to the two actors feel that Govinda who had defended Dutt earlier now maintains a politically correct stand about his Jodi No 1 co-star.
#Blasts: The 1993 Bombay Blasts that rocked the nation and Bombay killed around 257 people and injured several hundreds. The 12 bomb blasts caused severe damage to property and the estimated loss was in crores. It also brought to the forefront the connection between Bollywood and underworld. Dutt who had arrived at the Mumbai airport from Mauritius was interrogated after an AK-56 rifle which was a part of a smuggled arms consignment that came into India ahead of the blasts was found in his house. What followed was Sanjay Dutt’s arrest. The actor admitted to the crime during interrogation however detracted his statement later.
#Jail: In 1994 Sanjay’s bail was cancelled and he was imprisoned for 16 months. The actor was out in 1995 and it was only in 2006 that the TADA court summoned the actor only to drop all TADA related cases. The actor was however found guilty under the Arms Act for illegal possession of an AK-56 rifle and a 9 mm pistol. Dutt got six years rigorous jail term for the same. However, it was only in July 2007 that the actor was sent to the prison for precisely 18 days after which he was granted a bail by the Supreme Court.
After about six years the actor’s sentence was upheld but his jail term was reduced from six years to five. In March Sanjay Dutt was given four weeks time to surrender and serve his term, which was technically just three years now since he had already served his 16 months earlier in 1994. The Supreme Court’s decision was mocked and Dutt was accused of being treated specially. The debate only got more heated when the actor got many paroles, which again was meted out with objection. And even as tomorrow Sanjay Dutt is ready to walk out a free man from the Yerwada prison in Pune a PIL has been lodged against him by a social activist who alleged that the actor was given preferential treatment and needs to serve more years in the jail as a punishment.
When you look at many other celebrity legal cases, Sanju comes across as more human. We’d like to believe that he at the least punished for his wrong doing and sentenced. Of course the debate and arguments about preferential treatment and celebrity status helping hi case will go on. However, this case at the least makes one feel that no one is invincible and the Indian law is not just a toy in the hands of rich. Well, now we know why Sanjay Dutt is more deserving CONTROVERSY’S FAVOURITE CHILD title than any other Bollywood celebrity, right?
Hello, my name is Jack Sparrow. I'm a 50 year old self-employed Pirate from the Caribbean.
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