Sanjay Dutt, popularly known as ‘Sanju Baba’, was born on 29th July 1959 in Mumbai. He was officially named Sanjay Balraj Dutt by his parents. His mother was a famous Bollywood film actress and his father, too, was a known face in the Hindi film industry.
Sanjay Dutt Biography:
In his early childhood, he was attracted to acting more than anything else.
In 1971 he entered into the film industry as a child artist ( Reshma Aur Shera).
His parents found that Sanjay was a naughty boy and were afraid of the fact that their child might get spoiled. Hence, they decided to send him to a private boarding school. Finally, he was admitted to ‘ The Lawrence School ‘ in Himachal Pradesh. He came back to his parents after spending 11 years there. Therefore, they desired that he should pursue higher studies but he did not cherish the similar idea.
He set foot in the film industry and ultimately he got what he desired. His performance in the movie Rocky (year 1981) brought him into limelight. Meanwhile, his mother Nargis was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and she was taken to the US ( by his father) for treatment.
Only 3 days before the release of his debut film Rocky, he got the news of his mother’s death. Though Rocky was a contemporary box office hit, he could not taste joy of success. He was deeply grieved and perplexed. A grief-stricken Sanjay started to consume alcohol and drugs.
In the year.1982 Vidhata and Mein Awara Hoon(1983) again became box office hits.
By the time he was gradually losing control over himself and in an unfortunate firing incident police seized the license of his revolver.
After the incident, he became more controversial and became a drug addict.
He sought help from his father stating that he wanted to get rid of the drugs. Hence, his father decided to take him to a drug rehabilitation center in Texas, United States. He confessed before the doctors that he consumed each and every drug available on the planet.
The doctors in the US started to treat him and finally, he was cured.
Then he returned to India and wished to start a new life with a new name. As a consequence, he made a significant change in the spelling of his name. He used to write’ Sunjay’ but he replaced ‘U’ with ‘A’ and became Sanjay.
In 1985 a rehabilitated Sanjay appeared in the lead role of the movie ‘Jaan Ki Baazi’ which was a massive box office hit. Therefore, he became a name in the Bollywood film industry.
In 1987 he married Richa Sharma but unfortunately, in 1996 Richa died due to a fatal brain tumor. Trishala was the name of their daughter. Trishala started to live in the United States after the death of her mother.
In unfortunate incidents like ‘Babri Masjid Demolition ‘ (1992), ‘Mumbai Serial Blasts’ (1993) he was accused and arrested by the Mumbai police. He cooperated with the police and was released from jail.
In August 30 1991 ‘Sajan’ (directed by Lawrence D’Suza) was released. The film showcased a beautiful love story.
In December 31, 1991 ‘Sadak’ was released. The protagonist was (Ravi/Sanjay ), a suicidal, unstable driver. His sister becomes a sex worker and then is killed by the sadistic brothel madam Maharani. Ravi then finds redemption and purpose in life rescuing a young girl named Puja. It was one of the highest-grossing movies of the 90s.
‘Khalnayak’ was released in 1993 (directed by Subhas Ghai) . It is one of the remarkable films of his career. The film was set to release in August but he was arrested under TADA(Terrorist And Disruptive Act) in April. The film was a blockbuster with a huge box office collection of Rs. 21.50 crores (approx/ In India &overseas).
In 1998 he married Riya Pillai but the couple got divorced in 2005.
In 1999 he made his appearance on screen again.
His movies Daud ( 22 August 1997), Kartoos (7 May 1999), Khoobsurat (26 November 1999), Daag: The Fire (12 February 1999), Haseena Maan Jayaagi (25 June 1999), were all the then box office hits.
In the year 2000, he won the Film Fare award for best actor( Vaastav: The Reality)
Sanjay Dutt was the titular character in 2003’s Hindi comedy, drama Munnabhai MBBBS (directed, edited, and co-written by Rajkumar Hirani). The film was about Murli Prasad Sharma, Munnabhai and he is a goon but to please his father he appears before him disguising as a doctor. However, the plan goes wrong when his father meets the real doctor. However, Munnabhai’s character points out the flaws of the system and shows alternative ways to solve them. The film criticizes the medical sector where people are treated like bodies and not as real human beings.
In November 2006 all the charges and allegations made against Sanjay Dutt were withdrawn but he was found guilty of keeping illegal arms. As a result, he was imprisoned for 6 years. In August 20, 2007 he got the bail. Thereafter, he started to lead a normal life. In 2008 he married Dilnawaz Shaik ( Manyata Dutt)
It took long 23 years to free him from the shackles of charges and allegations.
He is now a free soul and has become a familiar name in anti-drug campaigns.
He is keen on establishing Rehabilitation Centers all over India.
His biopic ‘Sanju’ was released in 29th June 2018. It shows his struggles, personal dilemmas and vices.
Sanjay Dutt’s Best Friend:
He considers Paresh Ghelani who inspired Viky Kushal’s character, Kamli to be his best friend. Paresh Ghelani played a vital role in Sanju Baba’s life.
| NAME | Sanjay Dutt |
| AGE | 62 Years |
| WIFE | Richa Sharma (1987-1996)
Reha Pillai (1998-2005) Manyata Dutt (2008-Present) |
| FATHER | Sunil Dutt |
| MOTHER | Nargis Dutt |
| DAUGHTER | Trishala Dutt |
| NET WORTH | 150 Crores(INR) |