As Sanjay Dutt remains one of Bollywood’s most talked-about stars, conversations around the turbulent phase of his life during the 1993 Mumbai blasts case continue to resurface even today. One such moment was veteran actor and politician Sunil Dutt candidly opening up about seeking help from Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray when his son was arrested under TADA and the Arms Act.During an appearance on Rajat Sharma’s ‘Aap Ki Adalat’, Sunil Dutt had spoken honestly about the difficult period and explained why he approached Bal Thackeray despite being ideologically opposed to Shiv Sena politics.At the time, Maharashtra was governed by the Shiv Sena-BJP alliance, and Sanjay Dutt was facing serious charges linked to illegal possession of weapons in the aftermath of the 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts.Sunil Dutt revealed that actor Rajendra Kumar had advised him to meet Bal Thackeray for help.“Bal Thackeray ji is my old friend. I have known him since before I entered politics. He respects me and I respect him,” Sunil Dutt had said on the show.Explaining why he approached the Shiv Sena chief, the veteran actor said it was a practical decision because Thackeray held influence in the state government at the time.“At that time, it was his government. And you may remember, he himself used to say that the remote control was with him. If somebody has the key and the remote control, naturally a person will go to him,” he explained.Sunil Dutt further compared the situation to taking an unwell child to the right specialist.“If my son is sick, I will take him to a doctor. If there is a political problem, I will go to a politician. That is the reason,” he said.
‘I did not compromise my principles’
During the conversation, Rajat Sharma questioned Sunil Dutt about whether taking help from Bal Thackeray amounted to compromising on his principles, especially since he had always publicly opposed communal politics.However, the actor strongly denied compromising his ethics.“No, absolutely not. Had I joined Shiv Sena because they helped my son, then it would have been compromising my principles,” he responded.Sunil Dutt also pointed out that he later contested elections against Shiv Sena candidates, proving there was no political deal involved.“I fought elections against their candidates. Not once, but twice,” he said.He also clarified that Bal Thackeray never imposed any conditions on him in return for helping Sanjay Dutt.“He never told me not to contest elections or put any condition before me. Small-minded people think like that. Bal Thackeray was not like that,” Sunil Dutt added.
Sunil Dutt on Sanjay Dutt’s troubled phase
During the same interview, Sunil Dutt also spoke emotionally about Sanjay Dutt’s difficult teenage years, drug addiction and the trauma of losing his mother Nargis just days before the release of his debut film ‘Rocky’ in 1981.The veteran actor admitted that Sanjay was extremely close to his mother and struggled to cope with her death.“He was very close to his mother and she was very close to him. He could not handle her death,” Sunil Dutt had said.Recalling the heartbreaking days before Nargis’ passing, Sunil Dutt revealed that she desperately wanted to attend Sanjay’s film premiere despite her deteriorating health.“She kept saying, ‘I will definitely go and watch my son’s premiere.’ We had arranged an ambulance, wheelchair and everything. But she passed away on May 3, while the premiere was on May 7,” he recalled.Sunil Dutt said Sanjay was emotionally shattered and conflicted at the time.“He was a young boy. He did not know whether he should cry or celebrate because his first film had released,” he said.
‘Underworld people knew me too’
Sunil Dutt also addressed long-standing perceptions about Sanjay Dutt’s alleged underworld links and candidly admitted that he himself knew several underworld figures socially, like many people in the film industry at the time.“Why should I lie? Mastan was a very good friend of mine. Karim Lala was also my friend,” he admitted.However, he clarified there was a difference between social interaction and criminal involvement.“If an artist starts helping them in smuggling or crime, then that is wrong. But film people used to meet everyone socially. They attended film parties too,” he explained.
