Sanjay Dutt birthday: A look at the controversial Bollywood actor's life

Bollywood actor and Dubai resident Sanjay Dutt, who turned 63 today, is a force to reckon with in the Indian movie circles. He’s one of the most versatile actors in the entertainment scene and has the ability to transform into any character or role. The son of iconic actors Sunil Dutt and Nargis Dutt is still relevant today and has enjoyed an enviable career filled with cinematic gems. He’s also a true warrior. He recently battled lung cancer. Here are some of significant milestones in the actor’s life

Long before the words nepotism and privilege became a part of a Bollywood movie fan’s vocabulary, there was Sanjay Dutt who enjoyed a spectacular debut with ‘Rocky’ in 1981. Directed by his own father Sunil Dutt and released just a few days after his mother Nargis’ death, Sanjay Dutt was warmly embraced by fans in his first film. He played the titular role who sets out to avenge the death of his birth parent. It was one of highest grossing films of 1981. Nargis died of cancer in 1981 and according to reports, his father who was directing the film often took breaks to fly to New York to be with his wife.

Sanjay Dutt wasn’t a one-hit wonder. He topped up the success of ‘Rocky’ with a spate of blockbusters and some spectacular flops in several genres in the next two decades. His droopy eyes and swagger was adored widely and his upward career trajectory indicated that a star was born in Bollywood. Films like ‘Jeete Hai Shaan Se’ and ‘Kanoon Apna Apna’ cemented his position as a bona fide superstar. But initially, he grappled with a drug abuse problem. It’s believed that he stumbled into the world of drugs because he couldn’t tolerate the pain of his mother’s death in 1981. His trips to rehabilitations centres are well-documented, but he bounced back in the mid 1980s.

In the 1990s was when he truly bloomed. His role as a fierce gangster in ‘Vaastav: The Reality’ was a crash course in being a ruthless underworld kingpin. His turn as the anti-hero in ‘Khal Naayak’ (pictured) with Madhuri Dixit was also bang on target. In the hit romantic drama ‘Saajan’, Dutt played a poet who is crippled, but falls hopelessly in love with a woman who is also adored by his brother (Salman Khan). He then showed his versatility and his impeccable comic timing in the hit ‘Munna Bhai’ series. His central role as the happy-go-lucky, good-hearted Good Samaritan had many takers. That hit role was a perfect antidote to his personal life that was riddled with controversy.

While Sanjay Dutt was always the non-conformist hero of Bollywood and devoid of clean-shaven handsomeness, it was his arrest in 1993 that gave a sinister colour to his wild existence. In 1993, he was convicted for violating the Arms Act for possession of illegal weapons procured from those accused in the 1993 Bombay Blasts. His alleged links to terrorists and his prison stints made him a polarising figure in Bollywood. After many years in and out of prison, ‘Sanju Baba’, as he is fondly called by his adoring fans, was released in 2016. While he had immense support from his colleagues, there was a cross-section who felt that a Bollywood star shouldn’t be given an easy pass just because of his celebrity status. Long before Salman Khan earned the tag of Bollywood brat, there was Dutt who ticked all those boxes.

The arms possession charge had slowed down his thriving Bollywood career. But he made a robust comeback after serving his initial prison term. In 1997, there was ‘Daud’ followed by a string of hits including ‘Kartoos’ and comedy ‘Daag: The Fire’. The early 2000s were also fruitful years for Dutt. Films like ‘Agneepath’ (actor seen here at the Dubai promotions for the film), ‘Shootout At Lokhanwala’ ensured that he was in the collective consciousness of Bollywood movie fans.

Just like his bombastic career, Sanjay Dutt also had a colourful personal life. He married Richa Sharma in 1987 and they had a daughter Trishala Dutt together. Sharma died of a brain tumour in 1996. He then married and divorced model Rhea Pillai. He married his current spouse Manyata (pictured) in 2008. Two years later, they had twin children — a girl and a boy.

Sanjay Dutt has never stopped trying to re-invent himself. He will soon be seen in ‘Sadak 2’ (pictured) and ‘KGF Chapter 2’.

Sanjay Dutt is also one of the few stars that has been the subject of a biopic that’s shorn of all warts and moles — ‘Sanju’ by director Raju Hirani. Enacted brilliantly by Ranbir Kaoor, ‘Sanju’ was a film that showcased the troubled actor as a misunderstood creative genius. The movie was an unapologetic homage to Dutt. It’s also believed that Hirani, who directed Sanjay Dutt in the ‘Munna Bhai’ series, felt that the towering hero Dutt was a genuinely nice bloke whose brushes with the law were blown out of proportion.