Sanjay Dutt | |
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 Dutt in 2014 | |
| Born | Sanjay Balraj Dutt (1959-07-29)29 July 1959 (age 66) |
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| Education | The Lawrence School, Sanawar |
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| Years active | 1981–present |
| Works | Full list |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 3 |
| Parents |
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| Family | SeeDutt family |
| Awards | Full list |
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Sanjay Balraj Dutt (born 29 July 1959)[4] is anIndian actor and film producer who works primarily inHindi cinema, and has also appeared inTelugu,Kannada,Tamil,Marathi andPunjabi films.[5][6] He has acted inover 135 films. Known for his versatile roles, style, and intensity, he has often portrayed flawed heroes on screen.[7][8]Dutt has received awards such as twoFilmfare Awards, threeScreen Awards and aGlobal Indian Film Award.[9]
Part of theDutt family, he is the son of actor-politiciansSunil Dutt andNargis. Dutt made his acting debut withRocky (1981), directed by his father.[10] A career slump followed, with exceptions beingVidhaata (1982),Naam (1986) andThanedaar (1990).[11] He later starred in films such asSaajan (1991) andSadak (1991), and appeared in commercially successful releases includingAdharm (1992),Gumrah (1993),Khalnayak (1993),Daag: The Fire (1999),Haseena Maan Jaayegi (1999),Vaastav: The Reality (1999),Jodi No. 1 (2001),Munna Bhai MBBS (2003), andLage Raho Munna Bhai (2006); his performance inVaastav: The Reality won him theFilmfare Award for Best Actor.[12][13][14]
Since 2000, he's done a series of commercially successful films includingMission Kashmir (2000),Kurukshetra (2000),Kaante (2002),Munna Bhai M.B.B.S. (2003),Dus (2005),Shootout at Lokhandwala (2007),Dhamaal (2007),All the Best (2009),Double Dhamaal (2011),Agneepath (2012),Son of Sardaar (2012), andPK (2014). After a career decline, Dutt expanded into South Indian cinema, playing the main antagonist in theKannada filmK.G.F: Chapter 2 (2022)—thefifth highest-grossing Indian film and theTamil filmLeo (2023)—the22nd highest-grossing Indian film. He also achieved success playing supporting roles in the Hindi filmsHousefull 5 andDhurandhar, with the latter emerging as his highest-grossing film.
In April 1993, Dutt was arrested under theTerrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA) and theArms Act, and was later convicted under the Arms Act for possession of illegal weapons, including AK-56 rifles, procured from others accused in the1993 Bombay bombings. He was sentenced to five years in prison, and after periods of bail, completed his sentence in 2016.[15][16][17] Dutt's life has been the subject of considerable media coverage in India, and in 2018,Sanju, a biopic based on his life, starringRanbir Kapoor as Dutt; the film was one of thehighest-grossers of Indian cinema.[18]
Sanjay Dutt was born inBombay,Bombay State (nowMumbai, Maharashtra), toHindi cinema actorsSunil Dutt andNargis Dutt.[19] He studied atThe Lawrence School, Sanawar, and later atElphinstone College,Mumbai.[20]
Born to aHindu father and aMuslim mother, Dutt's ancestry through his father and maternal grandfather traces back to theRawalpindi Division of westernPunjab (in present-dayPakistan), with his paternal village beingKhurd inJhelum District.[21] Dutt is the maternal grandson ofJaddanbai fromBenares, who came from a family oftawaifs (courtesans) with ancestral links to theMughal court, and worked as a director, producer, actress, also being among the earliest female music composers in Hindi cinema.[22] Through Jaddanbai, Dutt is the nephew of character actorAnwar Hussain, Nargis's half-brother.[23] Through his father, Dutt belongs to theHussaini Brahmin community, which reveresImam Hussain and is traditionally said to have participated in thebattle of Karbala; the community'ssyncretist identity as "half-Hindu and half-Muslim" is reported to have made the them a target during the 1947partition of India riots.[24] Dutt has two sisters,Priya Dutt, a politician, and Namrata Dutt, who is married toKumar Gaurav, the son of actorRajendra Kumar.[25][26]
Dutt's given name was chosen by crowdsourcing via theUrdu-language film magazineShama.[27] His mother died in 1981, shortly before the premiere of his debut film; her death has been cited in accounts of the onset of his drug use.[28] Dutt made his acting debut as a child, playing aqawali singer in his father's filmReshma Aur Shera (1971).[29]
Dutt made hisBollywood film debut withRocky (1981).[30] He then appeared inVidhaata—the highest-grossing Hindi film of 1982—alongsideDilip Kumar,Shammi Kapoor, andSanjeev Kumar, and inMain Awara Hoon (1983) andZameen Aasmaan (1984). In 1985, he shotJaan Ki Baazi, his first release in two years.[31]
The filmNaam (1986) is described by commentators as a turning point in Dutt's career and was a critical and commercial success.[32][33][31] During the late 1980s, he appeared in box-office hits includingImaandaar,Inaam Dus Hazaar (1987),Jeete Hain Shaan Se (1988),Mardon Wali Baat (1988),Ilaaka (1989),Hum Bhi Insaan Hain (1989),Kanoon Apna Apna (1989), andTaaqatwar (1989).[31]
His performances inKabzaa (1988) andJ. P. Dutta'sHathyar (1989) were both well received by critics; trade sources classify both films as having average box-office returns.[34][35][36] In the same period, he appeared in multi-starrer projects with actors includingGovinda,Mithun,Dharmendra,Jackie Shroff, andSunny Deol.[31]
In the early 1990s, Dutt's releases includeTejaa (1990),Khatarnaak (1990),Zahreelay, (1990)Thanedaar (1990),Khoon Ka Karz (1991),Yalgaar (1992),Gumrah (1993),Sahibaan (1993), andAatish: Feel the Fire (1994). He also starred inSadak (1991),Saajan (1991), andKhalnayak (1993); he received nominations for theFilmfare Award for Best Actor forSaajan andKhalnayak.[31]
The Hindu wrote that "Dutt's earlier films (likeNaam andSadak) got him a lot of favourable attention", and "Saajan established Dutt as the conventional soft hero."[33]Saajan was the highest-grossingBollywood film of 1991, andSadak ranked fifth.[37]Khalnayak was the second-highest-grossing film of 1993.[38] This was followed by another box office successGumrah, this was Dutt's second consecutive hit that year.[39]
In March 1993, Bombay (now Mumbai) experienced a series of bombings later attributed to organised crime and terrorist networks. Dutt was among several Bollywood figures charged in connection with the case; prosecutors alleged that Dutt received weapons at his residence fromAbu Salem and co-accused Riyaz Siddiqui as part of a consignment linked to those involved in the bombings.[40][41] In his confession, Dutt stated that he had obtained a singleType-56 rifle from the producers of the movieSanam, for family protection.[42] Reports suggest that his fatherSunil Dutt's political activity influenced how the case proceeded.[43]
Dutt's first film after his 1993 arrest wasDaud (1997); trade sources describe its box-office results as average.[44] He followed this withDushman (1998) which performed well commercially.[45]
1999 was an excellent year for Dutt and one that is regarded as his comeback, with all of his five releases being among the highest-grossing films of that year. He began it by starring in theMahesh Bhatt-directed filmKartoos, followed byKhoobsurat,Haseena Maan Jaayegi,Daag: The Fire andVaastav: The Reality, for which he won many awards, including his first Filmfare Award for Best Actor.[46][47] His role in 2000'sMission Kashmir won him critical acclaim and a number of awards and nominations, including his fourth nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actor.[31] Dutt was also invited by thePresident of India toRashtrapati Bhavan for his performance in the film.[48]
As the decade went on, he continued to play lead roles in critical and commercial successes such asJodi No.1 (2001),Pitaah (2002) andKaante (2002), which earned him his first nomination for theFilmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor.
He played the lead role in the National Award-winning filmMunna Bhai M.B.B.S. (2003),[49] which garnered him several awards, including his firstFilmfare Award for Best Comedian.[31] At the box office,Munna Bhai M.B.B.S. achieved a silver jubilee status (25-week run) being one of only eight films to have achieved this status since the year 2000. In its 26th week of release, the film could still be found playing on 257 screens throughout India.[50][51] Later successes came withMusafir (2004),Plan (2004),Parineeta (2005), which earned him his second nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor, andDus (2005). He also won critical acclaim for his performances inShabd (2005) andZinda (2006).[31]
The sequel ofMunna Bhai M.B.B.S.,Lage Raho Munna Bhai was released on 1 September 2006,[52] for which Dutt received a number of awards, along with an award from the Prime MinisterManmohan Singh for his work in theMunna Bhai series.[53]NDTV India counted the characterMunna Bhai as one of top 20 fictional characters in Bollywood.[54] Dutt earned his fifth nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actor for his performance in the film.
In January 2008, the Indian film Institute Filmfare listed 12 films featuring Dutt in its list of the top 100 highest-grossing movies of all time. In its May 2013 edition "100 years of Indian cinema",Filmfare listed three films featuring Dutt in its top 20 list of highest-grossing Hindi films of all time, adjusted for inflation these films wereLage Raho Munna Bhai,Khalnayak andSaajan.[55] Later, Dutt starred in other successful movies likeDhamaal (2007),Shootout at Lokhandwala (2007),All the Best (2009),Double Dhamaal (2011),Son of Sardaar (2012)Agneepath (2012) andPK (2014).[56]
Vidhu Vinod Chopra on 29 September 2016 announced that the third part of Munna Bhai series, starring Dutt in the title role, would begin soon.[57] However, as of 2024, production on the film has still not commenced.[58]
In 2017, following his return to prison in 2013 to serve the remainder of his sentence and his release in 2016, Dutt appeared as the lead inBhoomi, directed byOmung Kumar.[59] In 2018, he starred inSaheb, Biwi Aur Gangster 3.[60][61] On 29 June 2018, his biopicSanju released in which he made a special appearance.[62] He then produced and starred inPrassthanam, which released on 20 September 2019.[63]
Due to theCOVID pandemic, Dutt then had fourOTT releases. First wasSadak 2, a sequel to his 1991 filmSadak, co starringAlia Bhatt andAditya Roy Kapur. The trailer for the film became the most disliked trailer of all time, with fans critical of nepotism following the death ofSushant Singh Rajput.[64] The film was universally panned and some claimed it to be one of the worst films in Dutt's career.[65] Then cameNetflix releaseTorbaaz, an action thriller set inAfghanistan. His 2021 releaseBhuj: The Pride of India, which featured an ensemble cast consisting ofAjay Devgn,Sonakshi Sinha andNora Fatehi, also received negative reviews.[66] However, in 2022, Dutt appeared inToolsidas Junior, a sports drama which won theNational Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi.
Also in 2022, Dutt made his debut inKannada cinema as Adheera, the main antagonist inK.G.F: Chapter 2, the sequel to the blockbuster Kannada film,K.G.F: Chapter 1. The movie was a financial success. However, his other 2022 theatrical releases were financial flops - the period epicShamshera, directed byKaran Malhotra and starringRanbir Kapoor, in which he again played a key antagonist, andSamrat Prithviraj alongsideAkshay Kumar.
In 2023, Dutt performed a cameo inShah Rukh Khan starrerJawan and played a key antagonist inLokesh Kanagaraj'sLeo (2023) alongsideVijay, making his debut inTamil cinema.[67] Both were huge financial successes. In 2024, he reunited withRaveena Tandon in the digital filmGhudchadi and made hisTelugu cinema debut withPuri Jagannadh'sDouble iSmart, which was a box office debacle.[citation needed] He appeared inHousefull 5 in 2025 as Chief Inspector Baba. The film was a commercial success. In the same year, he starred inBaaghi 4 alongside Tiger Shroff, playing the main antagonist. Critics noted that Dutt's role was too brief for him to make an impact. The film was poorly received and underperformed commercially. His last release of 2025 was the action-thrillerDhurandhar, where he played a supporting role and which went on to become thehighest grossing Indian film of 2025 andone of the highest grossing Hindi films of all time. Dutt next appeared in the Telugu filmThe Raja Saab, which received negative reviews.
Dutt is next set to appear in,Baap,KD - The Devil, an untitled film withArshad Warsi, and his productionThe Virgin Tree. He will also star in the big-budget international filmThe Good Maharaja.
Dutt co-hosted thefifth season of the Indian reality showBigg Boss along withSalman Khan. The show aired onColors television from 2 October 2011 to 7 January 2012.[68] Dutt later said it was Khan who persuaded him to co-host the show.[69]
In the early 1980, Dutt had a relationship with his co-star from his first film,Tina Munim.[70] After this relationship ended, Dutt married actressRicha Sharma in 1987.[71] She died of a brain tumour in 1996. The couple have a daughter[72] born in 1988, who lives in the United States with her maternal grandparents.[73]
Dutt's second marriage was to air-hostess-turned-modelRhea Pillai on 14 February 1998.[74] The divorce finalised in 2008. Dutt marriedManyata (born Dilnawaz Sheikh)[75] first registered inGoa in 2008 and then, in aHindu ceremony inMumbai, after two years of dating.[76] On 21 October 2010, he became a father to twins, a boy and a girl.[77]
Earlier, Dutt used to identify withIslam and woreQur'anic verses around his neck, which Mahesh Bhatt attributed to his mother's family, as Dutt often frequented his maternal uncle's house and thus his Muslim cousins.[78] When the police interrogated him following the1992-1993 Mumbai riots about an assault rifle he conceded getting fromAnees Ibrahim, the brother ofDawood Ibrahim, he responded that "because I have Muslim blood in my veins, I could not bear what was happening in the city."[79]
In more recent years, Dutt has connected more withHinduism and became a devotee ofShiva.[80] In January 2024, he performed thepinda dana, a Hindu ritual that involves paying homage to ancestors, for his deceased parents.[4]
Sanjay Dutt was diagnosed with stage 4lung cancer. He took treatment in Mumbai[81] and now has recovered from lung cancer.[82]
Dutt has publicly discussed his long struggle with substance abuse, particularly during his younger years. He began experimenting with drugs in his college days and later described that period as "nine years of hell" during which he used various narcotics before seeking help and entering rehabilitation.[83] He has said that he started doing drugs to feel confident and to "look cool", and that after rehab people called him acharsi (junkie), which motivated him to transform his life.[84] He also recounted waking up after a prolonged drug binge and recognising the harm it had caused to his life, which prompted him to seek help and eventually overcome the addiction.[85] In discussing his recovery, Dutt has spoken about the constant fear of relapse, saying that even thinking about "smoking up a joint" would threaten his sobriety, and that he channelled his energy into fitness instead.[86]
Dutt has also acknowledged a long history withtobacco, including anecdotes about smoking in difficult personal moments.[87]
During the investigations of thebombings in 1993 inMumbai, then known as Bombay, Dutt was among several people associated with Bollywood who were accused of involvement. It was alleged that Dutt accepted a delivery of weapons at his house fromAbu Salem and co-accused Riyaz Siddiqui, who had also been implicated in relation to the Bombay blasts.[40] It was claimed that the weapons formed a part of a large consignment of arms connected to the terrorists.[41] Dutt, however, in his confession stated that he took only oneType-56 from the producers of his movieSanam, for his own family protection.[42] It has also been reported that Sanjay Dutt's fatherSunil Dutt's political rivalry caused Sanjay Dutt's conviction.[43]
On 19 April 1993, after initial reporting by Baljeet Parmar on Dutt's possession of the AK-56, he was arrested under the provisions of theTerrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA).[88][41][89][90] Dutt was granted bail by theSupreme Court of India on 5 May 1993; however, on 4 July 1994 his bail was cancelled and he was re-arrested. On 16 October 1995 he was granted bail.[91] Abdul Qayyum Abdul Karim Shaikh, who was thought to be a close aide of the terrorists' ringleader,Dawood Ibrahim, was arrested.[92] Dutt had given Qayuum's name to the police when confessing to arms possession, saying that in September 1992 he had bought apistol from Qayuum inDubai.[93] His arrest coincided with the release of his film,Khalnayak, in which he played a wanted criminal. The film's major success was in part due to Dutt's off-screen legal controversy.
On 31 July 2007, Dutt was cleared of the charges relating to the Mumbai blast; however, the TADA court sentenced Dutt to six years'rigorous imprisonment under Arms act for illegal possession of weapons.[41][94] According toThe Guardian, "The actor claimed he feared for his life after the notorious 'Black Friday' bombings, which were allegedly staged by Mumbai's Muslim-dominated mafia in retaliation for deadly Hindu-Muslim clashes a few months earlier. But the judge rejected this defence and also refused bail."[94] Dutt was returned to at theArthur Road Jail and soon after moved to theYerawada Central Jail inPune.[41][95] Dutt appealed against the sentence[96] and was granted interim bail on 20 August 2007 until such time as the TADA court provided him with a copy of its judgement.[97] On 22 October 2007 Dutt was back in jail but again applied for bail. On 27 November 2007, Dutt was granted bail by the Supreme Court.[98] On 21 March 2013 the Supreme Court upheld the verdict but shortened the sentence to five years' imprisonment. Dutt was given a month to surrender before the authorities.[99]
Dutt has said that "I am not a politician but I belong to a political family."[100] He was persuaded by a close friend to contest the2009 Lok Sabha elections as a candidate for theSamajwadi Party, but withdrew when the court refused to suspend his conviction.[101] He was then appointed General Secretary of the Samajwadi Party, leaving that post in December 2010.[102] In March 2013 the Supreme Court upheld Dutt's five-year sentence, 18 months of which he already spent in jail during the trial.[103] He was given four weeks to surrender to the authorities, the court having refused to release him on probation due to the severity of the offence.[104]
On 10 May, the Supreme Court rejected Dutt'sreview petition for the reconsideration of his conviction and asked him to surrender on the stipulated date.[105][106] on 14 May, Dutt withdrew the mercy plea and surrendered to the Mumbai Police on 16 May 2013.[107][108] Just before the surrender, the Mumbai jail authority got an anonymous letter threatening Dutt's life. Dutt filed an appeal to allow him to surrender before entering Yerwada Central Jail. Later, Dutt withdrew this request too.[109] He was paroled from 21 December 2013. The parole was extended three times until March 2014, raising concern in Bombay High Court and a proposal from theGovernment of Maharashtra to amend the law of parole. He returned to Yerwada Central Jail after his parole ended.[110] Dutt was out on a two weeks' furlough granted by the Yerwada Central Jail authorities on 24 December.[111] He was subsequently incarcerated inYerwada Central Jail, to complete his jail term.[112] He was released from there on 25 February 2016 after serving his sentence.[113]
Dutt is regarded as one of the most popular actors of Indian cinema.[114] Known for his versatile roles, style and intensity, he has often portrayed flawed heroes on screen which brought him commercial success as well as accolades.[7][8]
One of the most successful actors of the 1990s and 2000s, Dutt appeared inBox Office India's "Top Actors" list three times from 1991 to 1993. He topped the list twice in 1992 and 1993.[12]
In 2022, he placed inOutlook India's "75 Best Bollywood Actors" list.[115]
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{{cite book}}:|work= ignored (help)Not very long ago, Indian actor Sunil Dutt, while making a donation in the Shaukat Khanum Hospital in Lahore, recorded his commitment to Karbala and said: "For Lahore, like my elders, I will shed every drop of blood and give any donation asked for, just as my ancestors did when they laid down their lives at Karbala for Hazrat Imam Husain."
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