Filmfare – July 2019

NOSTALGIA

Bujhegi (1991) damning

dowry, affirmed his

societal concerns.

Yash Chopra’s

Parampara and J.P. Dutta’s

Kshatriya were among

his last few outings in

the ‘90s. Munna Bhai

M.B.B.S. (2003) with son

Sanjay Dutt remains a

watershed moment for

the father-son and marked

their evolving bond.

SUPER HUSBAND

Dutt saw superstar Nargis

for the first time at the

premiere of Bimal Roy’s

Do Bigha Zameen (1953).

Few years later, when he

rescued her from the fire

on the set of Mehboob

Khan’s Mother India

(1957), it won him respect

from the leading lady,

whichlaterturnedinto

Mother India (1957),
where he played Nargis’
rebellious son.
Dutt’s career peaked
between the late 1950s
and 1960s with hits like
Sadhna, Sujata, Khandan
and Padosan. In the ’60s,
he scored a hat-trick with
B.R.Chopra with Gumrah,
Waqt and Hamraaz. Dutt
then went on to launch
his production house,
Ajanta Arts. His first film
was the bandit drama,
Mujhe Jeene Do (1963),
which spoke of crime
and redemption. His
directorial debut, Yaadein
(1964), featured him as the
only actor. It entered the
Guinness Book of World
Records for its unique
premise. He directed
and starred in Reshma
Aur Shera (1971),which
failed commerciallybu
won the National Awa
Commercial hits like
Heera, Pran Jaye Par
Vachan Na Jaye, Nagin
and Jaani Dushmanin
’70s stoked his popul
further. If Rocky (1981
was his launch padfo
son Sanjay Dutt, his
directorials, DardKa
Rishta (1982) on canc
relief and Yeh AagKa

SUNIL DUTT’S

COMMITMENT TOSOC

ISSUES SUPERSED

HIS DESIRE FORA P

HE RESIGNED ASM

PROTEST AGAINSTTHE

IN MUMBAI IN 1993

CONCEPT OF SECULA

IS TO BE A GOODHU

BEING, WHO RESPE

ALL RELIGIONS,’’ HE

QUOTED SAYING

Asthey were playing

er-son on screen in

erIndia, the much-

veactors maintained

w profile. On March

1958,they reportedly

married in a secret

a Samaj ceremony

didn’t make the news

licfor a year. They

t onto have three

dren- Namrata, Sanjay

Priya. Asked if he was

perturbed by Nargis’

gedrelationship with

Kapoor, Dutt was

tedsaying, “I wasn’t

cerned about her

...I’m concerned

utthe person who

mesin my life; what

ttersfrom that day on

howtrue the person

s tome.”

ut

rd.

n

nthe

ari

1 )

or

er

ab

CIAL

ED

POST.

PIN

ERIOTS

3. ‘‘ MY

ARISM

UMAN

ECTS

EWAS

G

love.

mothe

Moth

in-lov

a low

11 , 1

gotm

Arya

and

publ

went

child

andP

ever

alleg

RajK

quot

conc

past

abou

com

mat

ish

is

What endeared Nargis

to him was her caring

nature. It’s said when his

sister Rani fell ill, Nargis

took her to a doctor and

got her operated without

bothering an already

troubled Sunil.

Nargis and he formed

the Ajanta Arts Cultural

Troupe, which undertook

social initiatives including

holding shows for jawans.

Nargis suddenly fell ill

in 1979, while in Delhi for

her Rajya Sabha session.

Diagnosed with pancreatic

cancer, she was admitted

to the Sloane Kettering

Cancer Center in New

York. “Dad would feed

mom, clean her, help her

brush her teeth. He never

shared his feelings with

On the set of Reshma Aur Shera

With son

Sanjay Dutt

With Nargis