New Delhi: ‘Na Moonh Chupa Ke Jiyo, Na Sar Jhuka Ke Jiyo.’ Sunil Dutt lived up to these powerful lyrics that he sang on the screen to Mahendra Kapoor’s powerful in the 1967 film ‘Hamraaz.’
The award-winning actor, whose birthday it is today, stood tall and dignified despite the vicissitudes of life. Not one, but many. He ruled millions of hearts with the strength of his character exemplified by honesty, perseverance, hard work and simplicity.
A refugee from Pakistan, his only son’s drug addiction and being put behind the bars for possessing weapons, bankruptcy, and losing his beloved wife to cancer, Dutt fought all the odds and rose like a phoenix from its ashes.
A product of the Partition, he was raised by a single mother and saved by a Muslim person. He worked at a bus terminal and completed his studies at Mumbai’s Jai Hind College alongside.
As a young man, he became a radio presenter and later, became a part of the film industry.
The beloved of the masses who delivered superhit films and played memorable roles never had an easy life on the personal front. He even went bankrupt, lost Nargis and was humbled when his only son resorted to drugs to cope with the death of his mother.
He got labelled as a deshdrohi (traitor) when his son Sanjay, was arrested under TADA for possessing an AK-47. Yet, Sunil Dutt emerged unscathed, never letting go of his principles.
Dutt delivered several super-hit films like Mother India (1957), Sadhana (1958) and Sujata (1959). Songs like ‘‘Ek Chatur Nar” and “ Mere Samne Wali Khidki Mein” from his 1967 film Padosan are enjoyed to date.
His knack for perfection cost him his bank balance. The 1971 film Reshma and Shera, was originally directed by Sukhdev. Dissatisfied with the direction, Dutt decided to re-shoot the entire film, a decision that landed him in debt of Rs 6 million.
“I was bankrupt. I used to have seven cars; I had to sell them all. I started travelling in buses. I was mocked and humiliated, even by gatekeepers and bus conductors. My house was mortgaged. Producers stopped financing my films. I started getting offers from B grade directors and I declined them all, for I refused to compromise with my morals,” Dutt later recounted in an interview.
But then Dutt rose again, delivering hits like Pran Jaye Par Vachan Na Jaye (1974) and Hira (1973). He was back in the game.
Dutt Saab’s last film was Raju Hirani’s Lage Raho Munna Bhai (2003) in which he acted along with his son, Sanjay Dutt.
Political innings
- The legendary actor joined Indian National Congress in 1984.
- In 1987 he organised “Mahashanti Padyatra’” ( peace walk), covering a distance of 2,000 km on foot along with his daughters and 80 others from Mumbai to Amritsar.
- The following year, he organised yet another peace walk from Nagasaki to Hiroshima, spending 45 days in Japan as India’s ambassador of peace.
- In 1990, he was in Bhagalpur city following the widespread riots and then left for yet another padyatra from Faizabad to Ayodhya.
- He resigned as a Parliamentarian in 1993 in the wake of the communal carnage and the serial bomb blasts in Mumbai.
On the occasion of his birth anniversary today, his son Sanjay Dutt has shared a heartfelt post on social media. The post is a collage of two images from the film Munna Bhai M.B.B.S. T
In the caption, he wrote, “Your belief and love helped make me who I am today. You were, are and will always be my hero. Happy birthday, Dad,” with a red heart emoji.
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