Sanjay Dutt

He is one of Bollywood’s most controversial stars. He has indeed been through a lot: from allegations of terrorist activities to challenges with substance abuse – but through it all he has managed to triumph and continue to delight fans. Following is an exclusive interview with Sanjay Dutt.

“He is flaky, unpredictable, and moody. It is hard to pin him down for an interview.” “He’s God’s gift to women- look at that body.” “He beat up a photographer in Wembley because the guy misbehaved with Sushmita Sen….” I walk in to the Ambassador suite at the Renaissance Hotel in Atlanta for an interview with Sanjay Dutt, having heard it all. I see before me instead, a man with the kindest, gentlest eyes, a charmingly child like smile, a simplicity and humility that is touching. He makes me smile again as he calls wife Rhea on the phone and argues typically like a hubby- “Kahan ho tum? (Where are you?) She is out shopping for a pair of pants he needs for the show. “What do you mean I can’t start the interview without you? I’ll say what I feel like…” and he does!

If Sanjay Dutt ever ran out of scripts he could produce, direct and act in a film about himself. His life has indeed taken so many roller coaster twists and turns both on and off celluloid. From the young lanky debutante in ‘Rocky’ who fumbled through histrionics, to the amazing actor in ‘Vastav’. His very public battle with drugs, the loss of his mother and first wife to cancer, and his ex in-laws attempts to paint him to be some sort of a villain who deserted their child and did not help financially. He maintained a dignified silence till it all got to be too much. (He still does not have full custody of Trishala, his daughter from his first marriage though things are a lot more positive now, with unlimited visitations and hopefully a resolution in his favor in the near future.) He has endured everything; a long incarceration and the slump in his career as directors jumped ship.

Then came Rhea, his lovely model wife who stood by him through all the turmoil, and an unknown young director like Mahesh Manjrekar, who gave him Vastav. Finally after a long time Sanjay Dutt has his life and sanity back. The smooth faced boy is now a man, the lines adding character, to his face. He’s barely had any sleep the night before and yet goes on to chat well past the allotted 30 minutes.

Firstly, let me congratulate you on your performance in Vastav. The climactic scene was traumatic just to see (in it Sanjay who is completely broken by the fact that life has turned him from a simple, naive man struggling to make a living, to an underworld Don with blood on his hands. He finally begs his mother to kill him and release him from the demons of guilt that have haunted him so mercilessly, he is now merely a shell of a man.) I believe it was done in one shot. How did you manage that?

That scene was the one that had made us very tense throughout the making of the movie. It was a very difficult one and we were trying to figure out how to go about it. If we cut it out of the film, the level and intensity of performance would have definitely suffered. If we did it in several takes-deliver one shot, relax, deliver the next, then it would be hard to retain that high level of emotional intensity. Finally I told Mahesh Manjrekar(the director) that I had to do it in one go. So Mahesh placed seven cameras around and the portion inside the house was done in one go and the portion outside the house was done in one go. You are right about the scene-it really killed me and I was drained emotionally for days.

You have never been part of the underworld. How do you prepare for such scenes?
I may have not been part of the underworld but I have gone through a lot in life- much more than the average man. Pain is universal and I have gone through more than my share. Of course Mahesh had a lot of input in the scene and then during my jail days I have met people like my character in the movie and added those touches too.

Are you approachable now to young and up coming directors or do you prefer to stick to big banners? I believe Mahesh Manjrekar had written this role (Vastav) only with you in mind and followed you around trying to get you to hear his script with no success. He evidently got lucky only when Jackie Shroff introduced him to you.
Yes, that is correct. You know after Vastav and the recognition it has brought me, I hope to always be approachable to directors who have talent and a good script even if they are not well known. Vastav had a brilliant script and I was very confident about my role. My career was at an all time low in 1998 and I realized at that time that I would never be able to run after big names- that is just not me, so I did turn to young, talented directors and I am very happy with the way things have turned out. I have done a variety of roles with them- Kartoos, Vastav, Khubsoorat, Haseena Man Jayegi- all were different.

Haseena Man Jayegi was a David Dhawan-Govinda venture and the everyone knows that the two share a special chemistry. Some actors have been insecure at the thought of Govinda always getting priority with David.
Firstly, I am not an insecure actor. Frankly when I act in a film I look at the totality of the film, not so much what my role would be. If the film is shaping up well then it benefits every one. I really am not bothered about petty stuff like-is my role smaller? Are his lines better? Govinda and David Dhawan went out of their way to make me feel at home- there was no undercutting and a lot of mutual trust.

What do you find harder, comedy or emotional roles?
Dancing is what I find the hardest, even though I am a lot more comfortable with dancing now. Comedy is actually harder- it’s a lot easier to make people cry.

Is there any movie role that you would have given an arm and a leg for?
Yes. Al Pacino’s role in ‘Scarface’.

So why don’t you produce a film with a role of your choice? I believe you have started a production company with friends, called ‘White Feathers’?
I’ll never become producer- poor chaps are always losing money. Direction is something I would very much like to consider somewhere down the road. The production company you are talking about belongs to friends. My involvement is limited to only helping them out. I have not invested any money in it.

How have you evolved as an actor? You should also be credited with introducing physical fitness in the film industry.
Yes, I had actually been approached to act in a movie called ‘Jungle’ many years ago. Throughout the movie I had to be scantily clad. I used to be very thin, so I started working out. The body got made- the movie never did. Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger have been a great influence in my life. As an actor, of course life’s experiences help you grow in different ways and I think in the past few years I have done a variety of movies where my roles were very different from each other but I guess it took a ‘Vatsav’ to make people really sit up and take note.

Are you a director’s actor? Do you prepare in detail for a role or are you spontaneous?
I have never been able to do home work even in school. So I do not really prepare for a role. I just go with the flow. I am a director’s actor in the sense I am open to suggestions and easy to mold. Of course I do give my opinion if I disagree with something. Finally of course the director has the last word. Film industry is a tough line, and with each role you really start from scratch. So I am still learning.

Did you watch your parents’ films while growing up?
All the time but my favorite actors were Sharmila Tagore, Amitabh Bachchan and Rajesh Khanna. Of course mom was a great actress. There was nothing she could have done better than ‘Mother India’.

What do you think of the new breed of star sons – Hritik Roshan, Abhishek Bachchan. They seem to have undergone intense training in so many different aspects of acting, fitness.
They are both very good but of course they still have to grow and learn. I did go through some basic stuff before I acted in ‘Rocky’ but nothing as intense as what they are learning today.”

You struggled with a drug problem for many years. Since film actors become role models to a certain extent, have you done anything about it in India where drug use seems to be very much on the rise.
(Sighs with exasperation) “In India you just can’t do anything. People have a very “Chalta Hai” attitude. It’s a bad scene out there. I did try to do something but there was no response. People have other things on their mind. Aids is such an epidemic in India but people remain ill informed and no body really cares. That is the saddest thing. In America they do so much.

Do you have any regrets in life?
That I did not finish school. Now I wish I had and gone to college here. This is a great country. People really let you be.

How have you evolved as a person?
May be you should ask Rhea this question. Well, I am a difficult person to be with but Rhea has balanced my life even though we are very different from each other. I am a lot more mellow but less trusting. I am not a very demanding husband. I want my love and my time with my wife but I give her the space she needs. She has had to put up with a lot. The film industry is not an easy place- there is a lot of filth, lot of gossip, and she has had to take a lot in her stride.

What was it that attracted to you about Rhea of all the women you have met. I believe you said in an interview that your introverted nature and honesty comes from your mother and that before she died she left a tape recording for you telling you to be honest always. So was that an important quality?
Absolutely and when I saw her in the lawyer’s office in a white salwar kameez, she looked so pure. she is very loyal and very honest.

“Too honest for my own good,” laughs Rhea who has walked in.

“What was it about Sanjay that attracted you?” I ask Rhea. “I have heard you say how shy and private you are. A movie star husband must be the last thing on earth you would have wanted.”

“Yes, not even in my wildest dreams did I think I would end up with a film star and one who was always in the news!” She laughs, and continues, “Well it is his humility that touched me. He is very real; he is what he is- there is nothing fake about him. Still one is skeptical about people from the film industry. I did take my time and I listened to him, reached out to him as a human being. People who knew me, my family, my friends said, “Are you crazy? He should be the last person you should be involved with.” I feel somehow when you meet that one special person in your life, deep within your heart you know- I do believe so much in that, so in spite of every one’s objections I stuck by him and I am glad I did.”

As I get ready to leave I ask, “What would you have been had you not been an actor?” “A bartender”, he replies.

“Not a bouncer with all the fitness thing?”

“Well that goes hand in hand,” he shoots back.

As I walk to the door I hear Rhea say a couple of ladies have been waiting for autographs and picture for the past two hours. “I can’t give autographs now” he grumbles tired from lack of sleep and the long interview. “Poor things” Rhea pleads.

I see the tired eyes, the kindness in them and I know this guy for all the macho image is a softie. As I walk out I turn back a few minutes later, and he is indeed out the door patiently signing autographs and posing for pictures and I know in that moment, that no matter what life has in store for him, Sanjay Dutt’s heart will remain in the right place.