Sunil Dutt: a showman, a doting father and everything in between

He started off as a radio announcer, going on to act in movies, also producing and directing them. He then worked as a social worker, before becoming as a Member of Parliament before becoming a minister.

Legendary actor Sunil Dutt donned many hats during his lifetime, but he is most fondly remembered as a gem of person.

Sunil Dutt, christened as Balraj Dutt, was born on June 6, 1928, in village Khurdi of Jhelum district, now in Pakistan. His family came to India after the Partition. After studying in Haryana and then in Lucknow, Sunil Dutt left for Mumbai. His father passed away when Dutt was just seven.

He spent many days on Mumbai’s footpath in Mumbai before landing a job as a clerk at a bus depot. On account of his bold voice and clear enunciation, he found himself a role at Radio Ceylon. His primary responsibility there was interviewing film personalities. Since he was constantly in touch with film celebrities, he also started thinking about working in the movies around the same time.

After a long struggle, he got the opportunity to work in a 1955-film, Platform. The film tanked at the box office. Over the next three years, he accepted whatever roles he was offered to just get by in Bombay (now Mumbai). He acted in movies like Kundan, Rajdhani, Kismat Ka Khel and Payal during the phase, which were like dog days of his career. None of these movies could really leave a mark.

Destiny gave him another opportunity as he scored a role in Mother India. Released in 1957, his character was that of an anti-hero, of a person who changes because of the difficult circumstances in his life. During the shooting of this film, the set caught fire and the film’s heroine Nargis was trapped in the flames. Sunil Dutt adored Nargis in his hearts of hearts. Without thinking twice, he jumped in the fire and saved the actress, suffering burn injuries in the process.

Nargis portrayed the role of Sunil Dutt’s mother in Mother India. But as soon as the shooting completed, both the actors decided to get married.

Sunil Dutt worked in more films and, by 1963, he decided to launch his own production house. The first film he produced was Ye Raste Hain Pyar Ke. In 1964, he made an experimental film called Yaadein. The film had only one character which was played by Sunil Dutt. This film didn’t do much business either.

The year 1965 proved to be a significant one for him. It saw the release of two of his superhit films—Waqt and Khandaan. The commercial success of Mera Saya in 1966 and Hamraz and Milan in 1967 made him a star.

Sunil Dutt continued acting but whenever he got the opportunity, he produced some meaningful films. Movies like Yaadein, Mujhe Jeene Do, Reshma Aur Shera, Dard Ka Rishta reflected his thinking and social commitment. He worked in about hundred films and proved his acting mettle in some Punjabi films as well. Mann Jeet, Jag Jeet, Dukh Bhanjan Tera Naam and Sat Shri Akaal were some of his notable Punjabi flicks.

He was active in social welfare. Whether it was to perform for army officials at the border or collecting donations for the victims of drought or floods, Sunil Dutt always came forward. During the phase of growing militancy in Punjab he took up a peace march from Mumbai to Amritsar. Then he joined active politics for social service. He won Lok Sabha elections five times from Mumbai. In 2004-5 he took the charge of Ministry of youth affairs and sports in Manmohan Singh’s cabinet.

Sunil Dutt was twice bestowed with the Best Actor Filmfare Award, once in 1964 for the film Mujhe Jeene Do and then in 1966 for Khandaan. In 2005, he was conferred the most prestigious award of the film industry, the Dadasaheb Phalke Award.

In 1993, during the riots in Mumbai, he was a victim of narrow politics for emphatically defending the Muslim community. His dignified and graceful reputation was affected when his son, actor Sanjay Dutt, was arrested on charges of treason for keeping arms illegally during the Mumbai riots.

Defending Sanjay, he remarked that Sanjay Dutt may have committed a foolish act but he could never be a traitor. In 2003, he acted with his son Sanjay in Munnabhai MBBS, which proved to be an iconic film, but unfortunately Sunil Dutt’s last. On May 25, 2005, he breathed his last. It is very seldom that such towering personalities grace the field of art and cinema as well as politics.