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Sunil Dutt
Indian film actor and politician (1929–2005) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Sunil Dutt (born Balraj Raghunath Dutt; 6 June 1929 – 25 May 2005) was an Indian actor, film producer, director, and politician known for his work in Hindi cinema. He acted in more than 80 films over a career spanning five decades and was the recipient of three Filmfare Awards, including two for Best Actor. Regarded as one of the most successful and finest actors in the history of Indian cinema, Dutt was known for his unique style and delivering impactful messages through his films.[2] In 1968, the Government of India honoured him with the Padma Shri, India's fourth-highest civilian award for his contribution to Indian cinema.[3][4]
Dutt made his film debut in 1955 with the Hindi film Railway Platform.[5] He rose to prominence with the highly successful films: Ek Hi Raasta (1956) and Mother India (1957), and consistently starred in several top–grossing Indian films from the late-1950s to the 1970s, such as Sadhna, Sujata, Gumrah, Waqt, Khandan, Mera Saaya, Hamraaz, Milan, Mehrban, Padosan, Heera, Zakhmee, Nagin, Daaku Aur Jawan and Jaani Dushman.[6] Some of his acclaimed performances include Insān Jaag Utha, Chhaya, Mujhe Jeene Do, Nartaki, Yaadein, Gaban, Chirag, Darpan, Reshma Aur Shera, 36 Ghante, Muqabla and Dard Ka Rishta.[7][8] Beginning in the early 1980s, Dutt featured in supporting roles in notable films such as Shaan, Badle Ki Aag, Kala Dhanda Goray Log, Watan Ke Rakhwale, Kurbaan and Munna Bhai M.B.B.S (his final film).[9][10]
In 1995, he was honoured with the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award for his five decades of contribution to the film industry.[11]
In 1958, Dutt married his Mother India co-star Nargis. Together, they had three children, including actor Sanjay Dutt.[12] In 1984, he joined the Indian National Congress and was elected to Parliament of India for five terms, representing the constituency of Mumbai North West. Dutt served as the Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports in the Manmohan Singh government (2004–2005) and as Sheriff of Mumbai.[13][14]
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Early life
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Sunil Dutt was born on 6 June 1929, in Nakka Khurd in the Jhelum District of the Punjab Province of British India (now in Punjab, Pakistan) into a Punjabi Hindu family. His birth name was Balraj Dutt, and he was born to father Diwan Raghunath Dutt and mother Kulwanti Devi Dutt.[15][1][3][16]
Dutt belonged to a Hussaini Brahmin landlord family.[17][18] Dutt has one younger brother, Som Dutt, and a younger sister, Raj Rani Bali.[19] Dutt's father died when he was five years old. Dutt was 18, when the Partition of India took place, and it began inciting Hindu-Muslim violence across the country.[18] A Muslim friend of Dutt's father named Yakub saved their entire family, and helped them safely relocate to India.[20] The family resettled in the small village of Mandauli on the bank of the river Yamuna, located in the Yamunanagar District of East Punjab (now in Haryana).
Dutt later moved to the Aminabad Bazaar neighbourhood in Lucknow, United Provinces (now Uttar Pradesh) with his mother for some time before college. He then moved to Bombay, where he attended Jai Hind College of the University of Bombay and took up a job at the BEST Transportation Engineering division.[3][21] He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in History (Hons.) in 1954.[3][22]
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Film career
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Early career and rise to stardom (1955–1957)
Director Ramesh Saigal played a key role in introducing Dutt, who was hosting the radio show Lipton Ki Mehfil on Radio Ceylon, to the film industry by casting him in Railway Platform (1955).[23] Saigal met Dutt in 1953, while Dutt was reporting on the film Shikast. Impressed by Dutt's voice and personality, Saigal offered him a role in an upcoming project. Dutt declined the offer as he had promised his mother that he’d first complete his education. After graduating, he went on to act in Saigal's film. To avoid confusion with the established actor Balraj Sahni, Saigal suggested that he should adopt a new screen name and then he named him "Sunil Dutt".[24][25][26]
He shot to stardom with B. R. Chopra's family drama Ek Hi Raasta (1956) and Mehboob Khan's epic drama Mother India (1957).[27][28][29] While Ek Hi Raasta was a superhit, Mother India went many steps ahead and emerged an All Time Blockbuster along with being the most successful film of the 1950s. Despite being a newcomer at the time, Dutt accepted to play an angry young man named Birju and this film made him the first anti-hero of Bollywood.[30][31] The Indian Express found his performance "rogue and devilish".[32] Mother India was dubbed in several European languages, including Spanish, French and Russian; it saw substantial success in Greece, Spain, and Russia.[33] It was also acclaimed across the Arab world.[34][33][35][36] It went on to win several accolades and was featured in the book 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die.[37][38]
Widespread success, setback and resurgence (1958–1979)
He once again collaborated with B. R. Chopra for Sadhna (1958).[39] The film did extremely well at the box office and went on to become a superhit.[40] The following year, he starred in Bimal Roy's Sujata and Shakti Samanta's Insān Jaag Utha.[41] While the former was a huge commercial success, Insaan Jaag Utha did moderately well.[42] Sujata also opened to critical acclaim and went on to win the National Film Award for Third Best Feature Film (Hindi).[43] From 1960 to 1962, he starred in moderately successful films, such as Hum Hindustani in 1960, Chhaya in 1961 and Main Chup Rahungi in 1962.[44] The year 1963 brought him into the big league with the superhits Gumrah and Mujhe Jeene Do.[45] Along with their commercial success, both of the films received positive reviews from critics. In the same year, he made his debut as a producer with a legal drama Yeh Rastey Hain Pyar Ke, based on the infamous Nanavati case and later produced Mujhe Jeene Do.[46] For his portrayal of a notorious bandit in Mujhe Jeene Do, Dutt won his first Filmfare Award for Best Actor.[47] ThePrint praised Dutt's performance in Mujhe Jeene Do stating, "Sunil Dutt did what many other leading actors wouldn’t have done taken up a negative role at the peak of his career, and turned it into one of his best without getting stereotyped. He also chose to highlight an issue that nobody seemed to want to talk about and with that, he won the Indian audience all over again."[48] In 1964, he directed, produced and starred in Yaadein, an experimental film with him as the sole actor.[49] It did not do well at the box office, but received critical praise and won National Film Award for Second Best Feature Film (Hindi) as well as an entry in Guinness Book of World Records in the category Fewest actors in a narrative film.[50][49] Dutt's performance was highly appreciated by viewers and Yaadein is considered as a creative film which was ahead of its time.[51]
Dutt reached the peak of his success in the mid-1960s.[27] He began 1965 with a role in Yash Chopra's ensemble masala film Waqt.[52] It opened to an excellent response from the audience and proved to be a major blockbuster as well as the highest-grossing film of the year.[53] It is widely regarded as a cult classic.[54] His next release was A. Bhimsingh's family drama Khandan, which also became a superhit; Dutt receiving immense acclaim for his portrayal of a dedicated family man who is paralysed and won his second Filmfare Award for Best Actor.[55] In 1966, he had a blockbuster in Raj Khosla's thriller film Mera Saaya and a flop in Lekh Tandon's historical drama Amrapali.[56][57] The soundtrack of Mera Saaya composed by Madan Mohan was highly successful and one of the best-selling Hindi film albums of the 1960s.[58] Its songs, such as "Jhumka Gira Re", "Mera Saaya Saath Hoga" and "Aap Ke Pehaloon Mein", remain popular today. Rediff.com remarked that Dutt makes an endearing husband and suffuses his romantic scenes with warmth.[59] 1967 proved to be the best year of Dutt's career with three major commercial successes.[27] He first starred in Adurthi Subba Rao's reincarnation drama Milan.[60] A remake of Telugu hit Mooga Manasulu (1964), Milan proved to be an equally successful at the box office with its songs "Sawan Ka Mahina", "Main Toh Deewana", "Bol Gori Bol Tera Kaun Piya" and "Ram Kare Aisa Ho Jaye" topping the musical chart that year.[61] For portraying an innocent boatman in the film, Dutt received a nomination in the Filmfare Award for Best Actor category and won his first BFJA Award for Best Actor (Hindi).[61] His next release was Bhimsingh drama film Mehrban alongwith Ashok Kumar, Nutan and Mehmood, where he played a dedicated and honest man.[62] Mehrban was also a commercially successful.[44] He concluded the year with B.R. Chopra's suspense thriller Hamraaz which received positive reviews from critics, eventually emerging a blockbuster and Dutt's third consecutive hit of the year.[63][64] Hindustan Times praised Dutt's performance, stating that he "beautifully portrayed a guilt-ridden husband".[65]
"Playing the epitome of loyalty, Sunil Dutt relied on that rare ability to project honest sentiment."
In 1968, he delivered another superhit in Jyoti Swaroop's musical comedy film Padosan, where he played a buffoon lover named Bhola.[67] Indiatimes ranked the film among the "Top 25 Must See Bollywood Films".[68] Dutt surprised everyone with his comedic performance which showcased his versatility.[69] Amit Upadhyay of ThePrint in a retrospective article on film's 50th anniversary wrote ″As cult comedy films go, Jyoti Swaroop's Padosan is one of the few in Hindi film history to never run out of laughs. With its bare-bones plot about an innocent naïve young man Bhola, who falls in love with his dancer-singer neighbour Bindu and wins her over in a not-so-honest but oh-so-charming way, the focus in Padosan is entirely on scene mechanics and individual performances."[70]
The year 1969 saw the rise of Rajesh Khanna, who stormed the nation with films Aradhana and Do Raaste.[71] With his emergence, several established stars saw a decline in their career, including Dutt.[72] From 1969 to 1972, Dutt delivered few successful films like Raj Khosla's Chirag (1969) and Raja Nawathe's Bhai-Bhai (1970), where he played dual role of twins.[73][74] His other films during this phase did not performed well at the box office which were Reshma Aur Shera (which he also directed), Jwala, Zindagi Zindagi and Zameen Aasmaan.[6] Though Reshma Aur Shera failed at the box office, it received critical acclaim and gained cult status. It is also considered as one of Dutt’s greatest films.[75][76]
The year 1973 marked Dutt's return to the big league with Sultan Ahmed's dacoit drama Heera, which proved to be a huge hit.[77] The success of Heera was followed by other superhits, Pran Jaye Per Vachan Na Jaye (1974), Geeta Mera Naam (1974), Zakhmee (1975) and Umar Qaid (1975), firmly re-establishing him as a leading star of the era.[78][79] By this period, Dutt had transitioned to a wider range of roles, including action-oriented characters and occasional negative portrayals.[6]
In 1976, Dutt had two releases - Rajkumar Kohli's horror film Nagin and Raj Khosla's action drama Nehle Pe Dehla.[80][81] Nagin which had an ensemble cast, including Reena Roy, Feroz Khan, Sanjay Khan, Rekha and Mumtaz went on to become a blockbuster at the box office.[82] On the other hand, Nehle Pe Dehla alongside Saira Banu and Vinod Khanna was also a major commercial success.[82] The following year, he delivered two more successes with O. P. Ralhan's Paapi and Shibu Mitra's Aakhri Goli.[83] In 1978, Dutt donned the director's hat for Daaku Aur Jawan, co-starring Vinod Khanna, Reena Roy and Leena Chandavarkar.[84] The film opened to positive response from critics and emerged a superhit at the box office.[85] He also appeared in Ram Kasam, where he once again played dual role of twins opposite Rekha and Kaala Aadmi opposite Saira Banu. While Ram Kasam was a commercially successful, Kaala Aadmi failed to do well.[85] In 1979, he reunited with Rajkumar Kohli for another multi-starrer horror film Jaani Dushman, which took a bumper opening and emerged a blockbuster as well as one of the highest-earners of that year.[86] Dutt once again collaborated with Kohli for Muqabla, the same year.[87] The film backed up with chartbuster song "Govinda Govinda", a duet by Mohammed Rafi and Kishore Kumar went on to become a hit at the box office.[88][86] He concluded the year with another critical and commercial success in the action drama film Ahinsa.[86]
Shift to character roles, hiatus and final works (1980–2003)
Dutt began the new decade with an important supporting role in Ramesh Sippy's mega-budget action crime drama Shaan (1980).[89] The film received positive reviews from critics, but ended up as a moderately successful venture due to its high costs.[90] In 1981, he launched his son Sanjay Dutt's career with Rocky which was a hit.[91] Shortly before the film's release, Nargis died of pancreatic cancer. Dutt founded the Nargis Dutt Foundation in her memory for the care of cancer patients.[92] In 1982, he appeared alongside Dharmendra and Jeetendra in Rajkumar Kohli's action thriller Badle Ki Aag, which was a box office success.[93] The following year, he directed, produced and starred in the drama film Dard Ka Rishta, alongside Ashok Kumar, Reena Roy, Smita Patil and Khushbu Sundar.[94] Despite its heavy theme, Dard Ka Rishta did well commercially and proved to be a hit venture.[95] Dutt followed it with a minor setback from 1984 to 1985 as he had only one successful film Raaj Tilak then he had a string of critical and commercial failures such as Laila, Yaadon Ki Zanjeer and Faasle.[96][97] This changed in 1986 with the critically acclaimed hit films like Kala Dhanda Goray Log and Watan Ke Rakhwale in 1987.[98][99]
After appearing in Dharamyudh (1988), he went on a brief hiatus and returned to big screen in 1991 with Yeh Aag Kab Bujhegi (a film based on dowry, which he also directed for the last time), Kurbaan and Pratigyabadh. While Pratigyabadh was a box office failure, Yeh Aag Kab Bujhegi proved to be a moderate success and Kurbaan emerged a major commercial success.[100] He later appeared in supporting roles in early 90s films which were Virodhi, Kshatriya, Parampara and Phool then he took retirement from films to completely focus on his political career.[24]
Dutt returned to films once again in 2003 with Rajkumar Hirani's satirical comedy drama Munna Bhai M.B.B.S. which had his son in the lead.[101] Munna Bhai M.B.B.S. opened to highly positive reviews from critics. It won several awards and was declared a blockbuster at the box office and achieved silver jubilee status (25 week run), making it one of only eight films to have achieved this status since the year 2000.[101] Today, it is considered a classic and one of the best films ever made in the history of Indian cinema.[102] It marked Sunil Dutt's last film appearance; he died two years after its release.[103] Rediff.com described his presence as "the most appropriate screen goodbye".[104]
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Political career
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In 1982, Dutt was appointed as the Sheriff of Bombay, an apolitical titular position bestowed on him by the Maharashtra government for a year. He was elected a Member of Parliament from North West Mumbai for five times (1984, 1989, 1991 [resigned in 1993 in protest over religious violence], 1999, and 2004). He worked actively for the cause of slum dwellers, refugees and displaced people.[105][106]
In 1987 when Punjab was facing heightened militancy, Dutt, accompanied by his daughter Priya undertook a 2,000 km 76 day long Mahashanti Padyatra (journey by foot) from Bombay to Amritsar (Golden Temple) to establish communal harmony and brotherhood.[107][108][109] During the padyatra, he attended more than 500 roadside meetings and suffered a bout of jaundice and blistered feet but recovered. He always stressed that violence would not help any cause. Dutt later undertook a similar march while protesting against the proliferation of nuclear weapons, walking from Hiroshima to Nagasaki to demand a global ban on nuclear arms.[106] His political career was halted for some years in the early 1990s while he worked to free his son Sanjay from jail after Sanjay was arrested for keeping an AK-56 that he claimed was for the protection of his family after bomb blasts in Bombay.[110]
After his son's release, Dutt contested in 1999 election from the same constituency and won. He was re-elected in 2004 and became Cabinet Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports in Manmohan Singh's government. He won several national awards for his contributions to peace and communal harmony which includes the Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Award for National Integration and Communal Harmony in 1997, the Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan Award for International Peace, Communal Harmony, Unity and National Integration in 1997 and the Rajiv Gandhi National Sadbhavana Award in 1998.[111]
Dutt was among the first Bollywood actors to build a successful career in politics. He earned his reputation through persistent efforts including one of his earliest public acts—a nearly month-long peace march in Punjab during the early 1980s. At a time when the region was experiencing violent unrest due to the Sikh separatist movement, his march stood out for its courage and dedication to promoting communal harmony.[112][113]
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Personal life
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Dutt married actress Nargis, a Muslim, on 11 March 1958. Prior to their marriage, Nargis converted to Hinduism and adopted the name Nirmala Dutt.[114][115] Reportedly, Dutt had saved her life from a fire on the sets of Mother India.[116] They had three children: Sanjay Dutt, Namrata Dutt, and Priya Dutt. Sanjay went on to become a successful film actor. Namrata married actor Kumar Gaurav, son of veteran actor Rajendra Kumar who had appeared alongside Nargis and Dutt in Mother India. Priya became a politician and a Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha).[116]
After marrying Dutt, Nargis revealed that he was the first person who treat her like a normal human being and he was always there for her in her hard times. If he hadn't come into her life, she would've ended her life.[12] She and Dutt formed the Ajanta Arts Cultural Troupe, which involved several leading actors and singers of the time and performed at remote frontiers to entertain the Indian soldiers at border. It was the first troupe to perform in Dhaka, after the liberation war of Bangladesh in 1971.[117]
Dutt launched his younger brother, Som Dutt who used to work as a production assistant in his productions Man Ka Meet (1969) alongwith Vinod Khanna and Leena Chandavarkar (in their debut) but failed to create the on-screen magic. Later on, he went on to be a part of around 22 films and eventually decided to move away from the film industry.[118]
Nargis died on 3 May 1981 due to pancreatic cancer. Dutt buried her body instead of cremated as she had made it clear to him before her death that she wanted to be buried next to her late mother.[119] One year after her death, the Nargis Dutt Memorial Cancer Foundation was established by Dutt in her memory.[120] Later years, he worked as a tireless campaigner and raising money for the help of poor cancer patients through charities and fundraisers all across the world.[112]
In 2001, Dutt survived an air crash. He sustained a dislocated shoulder and a fractured leg and was admitted to Breach Candy Hospital for treatment.[121][122] According to reports, the small aircraft he was travelling in developed a technical issue. Dutt helped his co-passengers exit the plane to safety before escaping himself.[123]
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Accolades
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- 1964 – Filmfare Award for Best Actor for Mujhe Jeene Do[124]
- 1964 – National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi for Yaadein[125]
- 1966 – Filmfare Award for Best Actor for Khandan[126]
- 1968 – BFJA Award for Best Actor (Hindi) for Milan[127]
- 1968 – Padma Shri[4]
- 1995 – Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award
- 1998 – Rajiv Gandhi National Sadbhavana Award[128]
- 1999 – Screen Lifetime Achievement Award[129]
- 2000 – Anandalok Awards Lifetime Achievement Award
- 2001 – Zee Cine Award for Lifetime Achievement
- 2005 – Glory of India Award by IIFS, London[130]
- 2005 – Phalke Ratna Award by Dadasaheb Phalke Academy (posthumously)[131]
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Artistry and legacy
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Dutt is regarded as one of the greatest, humblest and most handsome actors of Indian cinema.[132][18] He was known as the method actor and dedicated politician who won millions of hearts with his honesty, compassion, charm, perseverance, hard work and simplicity.[133] Rediff.com called him “Hindi Cinema’s man of solid character” and added “his earnest sincerity reflected entirely in all his roles, be it Birju in Mother India or Bhola in Padosan. Besides acting, he successfully made the rare transition from film to politics.”[134] Filmfare said that Dutt "left behind a remarkable filmography full of cinematic gems".[135] One of the most successful actors of the 1960s and 1970s, he appeared in Box Office India's "Top Actors" list two times in 1966 and 1967.[136] In 2022, Dutt was placed in Outlook India's "75 Best Bollywood Actors" list.[137]
Dutt was also known as a serial talent-spotter, giving major breaks to then struggling actors including Amitabh Bachchan, Vinod Khanna, Ranjeet, Shakti Kapoor and Johnny Lever in his home productions Reshma Aur Shera, Rocky and Dard Ka Rishta respectively.[138][139][140]
Dinesh Raheja of Rediff.com noted, "Sunil Dutt capitalised on his ability to jump genres and expand on his oeuvre at different stages of his career. His willingness to experiment with cinema led him to star in offbeat films like Padosan, Amrapali, be the villain in Geeta Mera Naam and bankroll films like Yaadein (starring just one man --himself), Mujhe Jeene Do (a reformist saga) and the stark desert epic Reshma Aur Shera. He has greeted the ups and downs in his life with an exhibition of sheer grit and stoicism."[6] Farhana Farook of Filmfare remarked, "Sunil Dutt was way beyond his films."[24] Subhash K Jha noted, "Sunil Dutt did not hesitate in doing women-oriented films which addressed the issues of their upliftment, empowerment and equality." Furthermore, he included some of his films where he played a reformist which were Sujata, Sadhna, Nartaki, Chirag, Darpan and Zindagi Zindagi.[141] The Guardian observed that Dutt created an “unpretentious style” that appealed to India’s urban middle class.[142] His films Mother India, Padosan and Munna Bhai M.B.B.S were voted among the greatest films ever made in polls conducted by News18.[143] His directorial films received international recognition, Yaadein was selected in the Guinness Book of World Records in the category Fewest actors in a narrative film and Reshma Aur Shera was nominated for the Golden Berlin Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival.[49][144] In 2022, Sukanya Verma included his performance in Mother India and Mujhe Jeene Do in “25 Deadliest Bollywood Dacoits”.[145] In 2023, Mid-day termed Dutt “a stalwart of Indian cinema” and said, ”he graced the silver screen with his remarkable talent, charisma and versatility.”[146]
Shaikh Ayaz of The Indian Express called Dutt "a screen legend" and said, "his goodwill inspired the film industry that what a good husband and father he was and a man who always led from the front."[138] Yash Chopra said, "Whatever he did in films, it was with great dedication and from the heart; no one can reproach his sincerity. He was always ready, even for a guest role. I have never seen such a decent human being."[147] V.Gangadhar from The Tribune said, "Sunil Dutt was much more than an actor. With an ear to the ground and a hand on the pulse of the people, he lived by his convictions and led from the front. He never allowed personal crises to halt his main work."[148] Jayant K Sinha from The Economic Times noted, "Sunil Dutt was a man of conviction, patience, courage and character. He survived many personal tragedies. And, despite being a doughty politician and celebrity, he was humble and ready to fight for justice."[149] TheQuint wrote about Dutt: "He is one of Indian cinema’s greatest actors and fondly remembered in the film industry for helping those in need. He was the man that stardom wouldn’t dare to change. He believed in moving forward and carried no baggage of the things that didn’t work out in life."[21] Reader’s Digest described Dutt as a rare individual who successfully balanced stardom with selfless public service, highlighting his humanitarian values and political integrity.[150] Actor Akshay Kumar's hairstyle in Action Replayy (2010) was inspired by Dutt's long-haired look from Zakhmee (1975).[151] Actor Paresh Rawal portrayed Dutt for Sanju (2018) and said, "I may have done some good deeds in my past life that I got to play a noble person like Mr Sunil Dutt.”[152]
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Death
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Dutt died of a heart attack in his sleep on 25 May 2005 at his residence in Bandra, West Mumbai, at age 75.[153] He was the Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports in the Union Government led by Manmohan Singh and was the Member of Parliament from North-West Mumbai until his death. He was succeeded as Minister by Mani Shankar Aiyar. He was cremated with full state honours at the Santa Cruz Crematorium in Mumbai.[154] His body was draped in the Indian tri-colour and carried by the military.[155]
After his death, his seat in the Parliament was contested by his daughter, Priya Dutt, who won it and was a Member of Parliament until May 2014.[156] In 2005, Dutt was posthumously honoured with the Phalke Ratna Award by the Dadasaheb Phalke Academy.[131]
Following his demise, numerous figures expressed their condolences. President APJ Abdul Kalam called Dutt "a gem of a human being".[157] Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said, “A colorful and charismatic personality and a celebrity in the world of cinema, Sunil Dutt touched the millions in our country through many of his purposeful and socially relevant roles in numerous films."[157] Lata Mangeshkar said, “He was a rare human being. People like him are difficult to find."[158] Actress Shabana Azmi stated, “It comes as such a deep shock that Dutt Sahab is not with us. He was not only great just to those who work in the industry but also to the people of country."[157] Congress leaders also expressed their grief, Salman Khurshid said, "In politics, people always poke fun at each other. But Sunil Dutt never did that. He was a good, clean man."[159] Rajeev Shukla said, "He was a wonderful human being. A gentleman in politics. In his death the polity has lost a valuable leader."[159] Prabha Rau termed Dutt "a man of peace".[159] Film critic Saibal Chatterjee remarked, "His demise has robbed us of a stellar personality. He sought and surmounted challenges all his life."[160]
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Honours and tributes
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Dutt had expressed during his lifetime that he did not wish to have any postal stamp, statues, roads or any organisation made in his honour. He wanted that people should remember him by his work.[161] His Autograph was preserved at Bollywood Walk of Fame at Bandra Bandstand.[162] In 2005, a special event was organised at a film festival to honour Dutt's life and contributions.[163] In 2010, a commemorative postage stamp of Dutt was issued by Indian Motion Pictures Producers Association (IMPPA).[164]
Giving him a tribute, his co-actresses like Vyjayanthimala said, "He was a true gentleman, a progressive man and a rational artiste."[165] Asha Parekh said, "Dutt Saab was God’s child. He was a saint in the truest sense of the word. We did Chirag together where I had played a blind girl. He was so supportive and gentle."[165] Mala Sinha said, "Sunil Dutt was so warm and respectful. He was so punctual during the shootings and he always had kind words for everyone on the sets."[165] Amitabh Bachchan has praised Dutt's performance in Mother India (1957) and named him "First Angry Young Man of Bollywood".[166] Singer Mahendra Kapoor who had sung several songs for Dutt's movies like Gumrah, Waqt and Hamraaz said, "He was always very happy, full of good spirits and always forward-looking. His spirit was so strong that it carried him and all of us along with him.[167]
In 2019, Nivedita Mishra of Hindustan Times paid tribute to Dutt, describing him as "a gentleman actor with Gandhian values". She highlighted his humility, simplicity and commitment to public service, which remained consistent throughout his life.[113] In the same year, Sanjay Dutt dedicated his first Marathi film production, Baba (2019), to Dutt.[168] In 2022, ShemarooMe gave tribute to Dutt through the shows Screen Legends and The Thorough Gentleman.[169][170][171] In 2023, News18 referred to Dutt as a “dazzling actor” and highlighted his “most memorable movie roles” in a tribute marking his birth anniversary.[172] On his 95th birth anniversary, Radio City published a tribute article stating, "With a career spanning five decades, Sunil Dutt left an indelible mark on Bollywood with his powerful performances and enduring charm. He explored various genres, showcasing his versatility as an actor. But his life story goes beyond the glitz and glamour, revealing a man who battled personal struggles and emerged stronger, solidifying his position as a true legend."[173]
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In popular culture
- In 2007, Dutt's daughters Priya and Namrata published a book about the lives of their parents, titled, Mr. and Mrs. Dutt: Memories of our Parents.[174][175][176] Also that year, Darlingji: The True Love Story of Nargis and Sunil Dutt was released by Kishwar Desai.[177][178]
- In 2012, Sanjay Dutt paid tribute to his father by recreating Sunil Dutt's look from Mujhe Jeene Do (1963) for the film Son of Sardaar.[179]
- In 2018, Paresh Rawal played Sunil Dutt, in his son's biopic Sanju. The film is ranked as one of the highest grossing Indian films of 2018.[180]
Filmography
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See also
Further reading
- Mr. and Mrs. Dutt: Memories of our Parents, Namrata Dutt Kumar and Priya Dutt, 2007, Roli Books. ISBN 978-81-7436-455-5.[181]
- Darlingji: The True Love Story of Nargis and Sunil Dutt, Kishwar Desai. 2007, HarperCollins. ISBN 978-81-7223-697-7.
Notes
References
External links
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