HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

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 Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, is primarily produced in Mumbai. The popular term Bollywood is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (former name of Mumbai) and "Cinema of the United States, Hollywood". The in ...
. He acted in more than 80 films over a career spanning five decades and was the recipient of three
Filmfare Awards The Filmfare Awards are annual awards that honour artistic and technical excellence in the Indian cinema.Al The Filmfare ceremony is one of the most famous film events in India. The awards were introduced by Filmfare magazine of The Times G ...
, including two for Best Actor. Regarded as one of the most successful and finest actors in the history of
Indian Cinema The cinema of India, consisting of motion pictures made by the Indian film industry, has had a large effect on world cinema since the second half of the 20th century. Indian cinema is made up of various film industries, each focused on p ...
, Dutt was known for his unique style and delivering impactful messages through his films. In 1968, the
Government of India The Government of India (ISO 15919, ISO: Bhārata Sarakāra, legally the Union Government or Union of India or the Central Government) is the national authority of the Republic of India, located in South Asia, consisting of States and union t ...
honoured him with the
Padma Shri The Padma Shri (IAST: ''padma śrī'', lit. 'Lotus Honour'), also spelled Padma Shree, is the fourth-highest Indian honours system, civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan. In ...
, India's fourth-highest civilian award for his contribution to Indian cinema. Dutt made his film debut in 1955 with the
Hindi Modern Standard Hindi (, ), commonly referred to as Hindi, is the Standard language, standardised variety of the Hindustani language written in the Devanagari script. It is an official language of India, official language of the Government ...
film ''
Railway Platform A railway platform is an area in a train station alongside a railway Track (rail transport), track providing convenient access to trains. Almost all stations have some form of platform, with larger stations having multiple platforms. Grand Cen ...
''. He rose to prominence with the highly successful films: '' Ek Hi Raasta'' (1956) and ''
Mother India ''Mother India'' is a 1957 Indian epic drama film, directed by Mehboob Khan and starring Nargis, Sunil Dutt, Rajendra Kumar and Raaj Kumar. A remake of Khan's earlier film '' Aurat'' (1940), it is the story of a poverty-stricken village wo ...
'' (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 Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the List of cities in Italy, second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nea ...
'', '' Mehrban'', '' Padosan'', '' Heera'', '' Zakhmee'', '' Nagin'', '' Daaku Aur Jawan'' and '' Jaani Dushman''. Some of his acclaimed performances include '' Insān Jaag Utha'', ''
Chhaya Chhaya or Chaya (), also known as Savarna, is the Hindu personification and goddess of shadow, and a consort of Surya, the Hindu sun god. She is the shadow-image or reflection of Saranyu (Sanjna), the first wife of Surya. Chhaya was born from th ...
'', '' Mujhe Jeene Do'', '' Nartaki'', '' Yaadein'', '' Gaban'', '' Chirag'', ''Darpan'', '' Reshma Aur Shera'', ''
36 Ghante ''36 Ghante'' () is a 1974 Hindi film directed by Raj Tilak. It stars Raaj Kumar, Mala Sinha, Sunil Dutt, Vijay Arora, Parveen Babi, Ranjeet, Danny Denzongpa in pivotal roles. It is a remake of the 1955 American film '' The Desperate Hours'' ...
'', '' Muqabla'' and '' Dard Ka Rishta''. 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 ''Watan Ke Rakhwale'' () is a 1987 Indian Hindi, Hindi-language action thriller film directed by T. Rama Rao. It features an ensemble cast of Ashok Kumar, Sunil Dutt, Dharmendra, Mithun Chakraborty, Sridevi, Moushumi Chatterjee, Puneet Issar, ...
'', '' Kurbaan'' and '' Munna Bhai M.B.B.S'' (his final film). In 1995, he was honored with the
Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award The Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award, initially named Raj Kapoor Award for Lifetime Achievement after Raj Kapoor is given by the ''Filmfare'' magazine as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films. List of honourees † - Indicates ...
for his five decades of contribution to the film industry. In 1958, Dutt married his ''Mother India'' co-star
Nargis Nargis Dutt (born Fatima Rashid, also known as Nirmala Dutt; 1 June 1929 – 3 May 1981) known mononyomusly as Nargis was an Indian actress and politician who worked in Hindi cinema. Regarded as one of the greatest and finest actresses in the ...
. Together, they had three children, including actor
Sanjay Dutt Sanjay Balraj Dutt (born 29 July 1959) is an Indian actor, playback singer and film producer who works in Hindi cinema in addition to a few Telugu, Kannada, Tamil, Punjabi films. Dutt has won several accolades and acted in over 160 films. ...
. In 1984, he joined the
Indian National Congress The Indian National Congress (INC), colloquially the Congress Party, or simply the Congress, is a political parties in India, political party in India with deep roots in most regions of India. Founded on 28 December 1885, it was the first mo ...
and was elected to
Parliament of India The Parliament of India (ISO 15919, ISO: ) is the supreme legislative body of the Government of India, Government of the Republic of India. It is a bicameralism, bicameral legislature composed of the Rajya Sabha (Council of States) and the Lok ...
for five terms, representing the constituency of Mumbai North West. Dutt served as the Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports in the
Manmohan Singh Manmohan Singh (26 September 1932 – 26 December 2024) was an Indian economist, bureaucrat, academician, and statesman, who served as the prime minister of India from 2004 to 2014. He was the fourth longest-serving prime minister after Jaw ...
government (2004–2005) and as
Sheriff of Mumbai The Sheriff of Bombay is an apolitical titular position of authority bestowed for one year on a prominent citizen of Bombay. The sheriff is an officer of the High Court and the nominal Head of the High Court Department which carries out the or ...
.


Early life

Sunil Dutt was born on 6 June 1929, in Nakka Khurd in the
Jhelum District Jhelum District () is a district, located partially on the Pothohar Plateau and in Indus Plain, in Punjab, Pakistan. Jhelum is one of the oldest districts of Punjab. It was established on 23 March 1849. Jhelum is known for providing many sold ...
of the Punjab Province of
British India The provinces of India, earlier presidencies of British India and still earlier, presidency towns, were the administrative divisions of British governance in South Asia. Collectively, they have been called British India. In one form or another ...
(now in
Punjab, Pakistan Punjab (, ) is a Administrative units of Pakistan, province of Pakistan. With a population of over 127 million, it is the Demographics of Pakistan, most populous province in Pakistan and the List of first-level administrative divisions by popu ...
) into a
Punjabi Hindu Punjabi Hindus are adherents of Hinduism who identify ethnically, linguistically, culturally, and genealogically as Punjabis and are natives of the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent. Punjabi Hindus are the third-largest religious g ...
family of the Hussaini Brahmin caste. His birth name was Balraj Dutt, and he was born to father Diwan Raghunath Dutt and mother Kulwanti Devi Dutt. Dutt belonged to a family of landlords. Dutt has one younger brother, Som Dutt, and a younger sister, Raj Rani Bali. Dutt's father died when he was five years old. Dutt was 18, when the
Partition of India The partition of India in 1947 was the division of British India into two independent dominion states, the Dominion of India, Union of India and Dominion of Pakistan. The Union of India is today the Republic of India, and the Dominion of Paki ...
took place, and it began inciting
Hindu Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...
-
Muslim Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...
violence across the country. A Muslim friend of Dutt's father named Yakub saved their entire family, and helped them safely relocate to India. The family resettled in the small village of Mandauli on the bank of the river
Yamuna The Yamuna (; ) is the second-largest tributary river of the Ganges by discharge and the longest tributary in India. Originating from the Yamunotri Glacier at a height of about on the southwestern slopes of Bandarpunch peaks of the Low ...
, located in the
Yamunanagar District Yamunanagar district is one of the 22 districts of the Indian state of Haryana. The district came into existence on 1November 1989 and occupies an area of . Yamunanagar town is the district headquarters. Yamunanagar's average rainfall in Mons ...
of
East Punjab East Punjab was a state of Dominion of India from 1947 until 1950. It consisted parts of the Punjab Province of British India that remained in India following the partition of the state between the new dominions of Pakistan and India by the ...
(now in
Haryana Haryana () is a States and union territories of India, state located in the northern part of India. It was carved out after the linguistic reorganisation of Punjab, India, Punjab on 1 November 1966. It is ranked 21st in terms of area, with les ...
). Dutt later moved to the Aminabad Bazaar neighbourhood in
Lucknow Lucknow () is the List of state and union territory capitals in India, capital and the largest city of the List of state and union territory capitals in India, Indian state of Uttar Pradesh and it is the administrative headquarters of the epon ...
, United Provinces (now Uttar Pradesh) with his mother for some time before college. He then moved to
Bombay Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial centre, financial capital and the list of cities i ...
, where he attended
Jai Hind College Jai Hind College (Autonomous) (Marathi: जय हिंद कॉलेज) is an autonomous college in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India, affiliated to the University of Mumbai. It was established in 1948. In 2000, ''India Today'' named Jai Hind C ...
of the
University of Bombay University of Mumbai is a public university, public List of largest universities and university networks by enrollment, state university in Mumbai. It is one of the List of largest universities and university networks by enrollment, largest univ ...
and took up a job at the BEST Transportation Engineering division. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in
History History is the systematic study of the past, focusing primarily on the Human history, human past. As an academic discipline, it analyses and interprets evidence to construct narratives about what happened and explain why it happened. Some t ...
(Hons.) in 1954.


Film career


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 A railway platform is an area in a train station alongside a railway Track (rail transport), track providing convenient access to trains. Almost all stations have some form of platform, with larger stations having multiple platforms. Grand Cen ...
'' (1955). 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. Eventually 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". He shot to stardom with B. R. Chopra's
family drama In film and television show, television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or docudrama, semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humour, humorous in tone. The drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional te ...
'' Ek Hi Raasta'' (1956) and
Mehboob Khan Mehboob Khan Ramzan Khan (9 September 1907
at filmreference.com.
– 28 May 1964) was a pr ...
's epic drama ''
Mother India ''Mother India'' is a 1957 Indian epic drama film, directed by Mehboob Khan and starring Nargis, Sunil Dutt, Rajendra Kumar and Raaj Kumar. A remake of Khan's earlier film '' Aurat'' (1940), it is the story of a poverty-stricken village wo ...
'' (1957). 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. It was dubbed in several European languages, including Spanish, French and Russian; it saw substantial success in Greece, Spain, and Russia. Technicolor arranged one screening of the film in Paris on 30 June 1958 under the name ''Les bracelets d'or'' ("The Gold Bracelets"). It did minimal success in Paris, but fared better in
French colonies From the 16th to the 17th centuries, the First French colonial empire existed mainly in the Americas and Asia. During the 19th and 20th centuries, the second French colonial empire existed mainly in Africa and Asia. France had about 80 colonie ...
. It was successful in the Latin American countries of Peru, Bolivia, and Ecuador. ''Mother India'' was also acclaimed across the
Arab world The Arab world ( '), formally the Arab homeland ( '), also known as the Arab nation ( '), the Arabsphere, or the Arab states, comprises a large group of countries, mainly located in West Asia and North Africa. While the majority of people in ...
, in the Middle East, parts of Southeast Asia, and North Africa and continued to be shown in countries such as Algeria at least ten years after its release. It went on to win several accolades and was featured in the book
1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die ''1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die'' is a film reference book edited by Steven Jay Schneider with original essays on each film contributed by over 70 film critics. It is a part of a series designed and produced by Quintessence Editions, ...
.


Widespread success, setback and resurgence (1958–1979)

He once again collaborated with B. R. Chopra for '' Sadhna'' (1958). The film did extremely well at the box office and went on to become a superhit. The following year, he starred in Bimal Roy's '' Sujata'' and
Shakti Samanta Shakti Samanta (13 January 1926 – 9 April 2009) was an Indian film director and producer, who founded Shakti Films in 1957, which is most known for films such as ''Anand Ashram'' (1977), Anusandhan /''Barsaat Ki Ek Raat'' (1981), ''Anyay Abhi ...
's '' Insān Jaag Utha''. While the former was a huge commercial success, ''Insaan Jaag Utha'' did moderately well. ''Sujata'' also opened to critical acclaim and went on to win the National Film Award for Third Best Feature Film (Hindi). From 1960 to 1962, he starred in moderately successful films, such as '' Hum Hindustani'' in 1960, ''
Chhaya Chhaya or Chaya (), also known as Savarna, is the Hindu personification and goddess of shadow, and a consort of Surya, the Hindu sun god. She is the shadow-image or reflection of Saranyu (Sanjna), the first wife of Surya. Chhaya was born from th ...
'' in 1961 and '' Main Chup Rahungi'' in 1962. The year 1963 brought him into the big league with the superhits '' Gumrah'' and '' Mujhe Jeene Do''. Along with their commercial success, both of the films received positive reviews from critics. For his portrayal of a notorious bandit in ''Mujhe Jeene Do'', Dutt won his first Filmfare Award for Best Actor. In 1964, he directed, produced and starred in '' Yaadein'', an experimental film with him as the sole actor. 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 ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a British reference book published annually, listi ...
in the category ''Fewest actors in a narrative film''. Dutt's performance was highly praised by viewers and ''Yaadein'' is considered as a creative film which was ahead of its time. Dutt reached the peak of his success in the mid-1960s. He began 1965 with a role in
Yash Chopra Yash Raj Chopra (27 September 1932 21 October 2012) was an Indian film director and film producer who worked in Bollywood, Hindi cinema. The founding chairman of the film production and distribution company Yash Raj Films, Chopra was the reci ...
's ensemble
masala film Masala films of Indian cinema are those that blend multiple genres into one work. Masala films emerged in the 1970s and are still being created as of the 2020s. Typically these films freely blend action, comedy, romance, and drama, or melod ...
'' Waqt''. 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. It is widely regarded as a cult classic. His next release was A. Bhimsingh's
family drama In film and television show, television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or docudrama, semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humour, humorous in tone. The drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional te ...
'' 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. In 1966, he had a blockbuster in Raj Khosla's
thriller film Thriller film, also known as suspense film or suspense thriller, is a broad film genre that evokes excitement and suspense in the audience. The suspense element found in most films' plots is particularly exploited by the filmmaker in this genre. ...
'' Mera Saaya'' and a flop in
Lekh Tandon Lekh Tandon (13 February 1929 – 15 October 2017) was an Indian filmmaker and actor. He had directed numerous Bollywood movies and Indian TV Serials. He gained national fame due to success of his directorial ventures Professor (1962 film), Pri ...
's
historical drama A historical drama (also period drama, period piece or just period) is a dramatic work set in the past, usually used in the context of film and television, which presents history, historical events and characters with varying degrees of fiction s ...
'' Amrapali''. The soundtrack of ''Mera Saaya'' composed by Madan Mohan was highly successful and one of the best-selling Hindi film albums of the 1960s. Its songs, such as "Jhumka Gira Re" sung by
Asha Bhosle Asha Bhosle (; ; born 8 September 1933) is an Indian playback singer, entrepreneur, actress and television personality who predominantly works in Indian cinema. Known for her versatility, she has been described in the media as one of the ...
and "Mera Saaya Saath", a solo by
Lata Mangeshkar Lata Mangeshkar (; born Hema Mangeshkar; 28 September 1929 – 6 February 2022) was an Indian playback singer and occasional music composer. She is considered to be one of the greatest and most influential singers of the Indian subcontinent. He ...
, remain popular today. 1967 proved to be the best year of Dutt's career with three major commercial successes. He first starred in
Adurthi Subba Rao Adurthi Subba Rao (16 December 1912 – 1 October 1975) was an Indian film director, screenwriter, producer, and editor, primarily recognized for his contributions to Telugu cinema, with a few works in Hindi and Tamil cinema. In an era dominate ...
's reincarnation drama ''
Milan Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the List of cities in Italy, second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nea ...
''. 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. For portraying an innocent boatman in the film, Dutt received a nomination in the Filmfare Award for Best Actor category and won his first and only BFJA Award for Best Actor (Hindi). His next release was Bhimsingh drama film '' Mehrban'' which also had
Ashok Kumar Ashok Kumar (born Kumudlal Ganguly; 13 October 1911 – 10 December 2001), was an Indian actor who attained iconic status in Indian cinema. He is regarded as one of the greatest actors of Indian cinema. He is considered to be the first Super-st ...
,
Nutan Nutan Samarth-Bahl ( Samarth; 4 June 1936 – 21 February 1991), known mononymously as Nutan was an Indian actress who worked in Hindi films. Regarded as one of the greatest actresses in the history of Indian cinema, Nutan was noted for her natu ...
, Mehmood, Sulochana Latkar and
Shashikala Shashikala Saigal (née Jawalkar; 4 August 1932 – 4 April 2021), better known by her first name, was an Indian film and television actress, who played supporting roles in hundreds of Bollywood films beginning in the 1940s. Early years Shas ...
in the lead where he was a dedicated and honest man. ''Mehrban'' like ''Milan'' was also a commercially successful venture. He concluded the year with B.R. Chopra's
suspense thriller Thriller film, also known as suspense film or suspense thriller, is a broad film genre that evokes excitement and suspense in the audience. The suspense element found in most films' plots is particularly exploited by the filmmaker in this genre. ...
'' Hamraaz'' which received positive reviews from critics, eventually emerging a blockbuster and Dutt's third consecutive hit of the year. In 1968, he delivered another superhit in Jyoti Swaroop's
musical comedy Musical theatre is a form of theatre, theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, ...
film '' Padosan'', where he played a buffoon lover named Bhola. Indiatimes ranked the film among the "Top 25 Must See Bollywood Films". Dutt surprised everyone with his comedic performance which showcased his versatility. Amit Upadhyay of
ThePrint The Print is an Indian online newspaper, owned by Printline Media Pvt Ltd. It was launched by journalist Shekhar Gupta in August 2017. History Printline Media Pvt. Ltd, founded by journalist Shekhar Gupta, was incorporated in New Delhi, Ind ...
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." In a similar fiftieth-anniversary article, Devansh Sharma of
Firstpost Firstpost is an Indian news website owned by Network18 Group, which also runs CNN-News18 and CNBC TV18. It has posted misinformation on multiple occasions. The Network 18 group was originally owned by Raghav Bahl. In January 2012, the gro ...
gave credit to RD Burman's soundtrack for changing the state of comedy genre in Hindi films as he felt that ″Burman's music gave wings to the camera that was otherwise doomed to sit still. Krishan's poetry also allowed the editor and director a lot of freedom as they could choose the appropriate shot for every emotion expressed in the songs.″ The year 1969 saw the rise of superstar
Rajesh Khanna Rajesh Khanna (; born Jatin Khanna; 29 December 1942 – 18 July 2012) was an Indian actor, film producer and politician who worked in Hindi films. Considered as one of the greatest and most successful actors in the history of Indian cinema, h ...
, who stormed the nation with '' Aradhana'' and '' Do Raaste''. With his emergence, a number of stars saw a decline in their career; Dutt was one of them. From 1969 to 1972, Dutt saw few successful films like Raj Khosla's '' Chirag'' (1969) and Raja Nawathe's '' Bhai-Bhai'' (1970), both co-starring
Asha Parekh Asha Parekh (born 2 October 1942) is an Indian actress, film director, and producer who worked in Hindi films. Regarded as one of the greatest actresses of Hindi cinema, Parekh has worked in more than 85 films, in a career spanning over four d ...
. While the other films didn't do well at the box office which were '' Reshma Aur Shera'' (which he also directed), '' Jwala'', '' Zindagi Zindagi'' and '' Zameen Aasmaan''. After the failure of ''Reshma Aur Shera'', Dutt landed in Rs 60 lakh debt. He had to sell his cars and started travelling by bus. During that time, he started getting offers from B-grade films but didn’t accept them as he refused to compromise with his morals. 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. The success of ''Heera'' was followed by other superhits, '' Pran Jaye Per Vachan Na Jaye'' (1974) and '' Zakhmee'' (1975) along with two more successful films, '' Geeta Mera Naam'' (1974) and '' Umar Qaid'' (1975), thus solidifying his comeback. In 1976, Dutt had two releases - Rajkumar Kohli's horror film '' Nagin'' and Raj Khosla's action drama '' Nehle Pe Dehla''. ''Nagin'' which had an ensemble cast, including Reena Roy, Feroz Khan,
Sanjay Khan Sanjay Khan (born as Shah Abbas Ali Khan, 3 January 1940) is an Indian actor, producer and director known for his works in Hindi films and television. Sanjay Khan made his debut in Rajshri Productions, Rajshri film ''Dosti (1964 film), Dosti'' ...
,
Rekha Bhanurekha Ganesan (; born 10 October 1954), better known by her mononymous stage name Rekha, is an Indian actress who appears predominantly in Hindi films. Acknowledged as one of the finest actresses in Indian cinema, she has starred in mo ...
and Mumtaz went on to become a blockbuster at the box office. On the other hand, ''Nehle Pe Dehla'' alongside Saira Banu and
Vinod Khanna Vinod Khanna (6 October 1946 – 27 April 2017) was an Indian actor, film producer, and politician known for his work in Hindi cinema. He is regarded as one of the greatest actors of Hindi cinema. Recognised as a style and fashion icon, he wa ...
was also a major commercial success. The following year, he delivered two more successes with '' Paapi'' and '' Aakhri Goli''. In 1978, Dutt donned the director's hat for '' Daaku Aur Jawan'', co-starring Vinod Khanna, Reena Roy and Leena Chandavarkar. The film opened to positive response from critics and emerged a superhit at the box office. He also appeared opposite
Rekha Bhanurekha Ganesan (; born 10 October 1954), better known by her mononymous stage name Rekha, is an Indian actress who appears predominantly in Hindi films. Acknowledged as one of the finest actresses in Indian cinema, she has starred in mo ...
and Saira Banu in ''
Ram Kasam ''Ram Kasam'' is a 1978 Bollywood action film directed by Chand, with music by Sonik Omi and lyrics by Verma Malik. The film is based on the Dacoity of the Chambal division; bandits of Morena and Chambal, thronging the locales of the mounta ...
'' and '' Kaala Aadmi'', respectively. While ''Ram Kasam'' was a commercially successful, ''Kaala Aadmi'' failed to do well. 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. Dutt once again collaborated with Kohli for '' Muqabla'', the same year. The film backed up with chartbuster song "Govinda Govinda", a duet by
Mohammed Rafi Mohammed Rafi (24 December 1924 – 31 July 1980) was an Indian playback singer. He is considered to have been one of the greatest and most influential singers of the Indian subcontinent. Rafi was notable for his versatility and range of voice ...
and
Kishore Kumar Kishore Kumar (born Abhas Kumar Ganguly; ; 4 August 1929 – 13 October 1987) was an Indian playback singer, musician and actor. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest, most influential and dynamic singers in the history of modern India ...
went on to become a hit at the box office. He concluded the year with another critical and commercial success in the action drama film ''
Ahinsa (, IAST: , ) is the ancient Indian principle of nonviolence which applies to actions towards all living beings. It is a key virtue in Indian religions like Jainism, Buddhism and Hinduism. (also spelled Ahinsa) is one of the cardinal vi ...
''.


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). The film received positive reviews from critics, but ended up as a moderately successful venture due to its high costs. In 1981, he launched his son
Sanjay Dutt Sanjay Balraj Dutt (born 29 July 1959) is an Indian actor, playback singer and film producer who works in Hindi cinema in addition to a few Telugu, Kannada, Tamil, Punjabi films. Dutt has won several accolades and acted in over 160 films. ...
's career with ''
Rocky ''Rocky'' is a 1976 American independent film, independent sports drama film directed by John G. Avildsen and written by and starring Sylvester Stallone. It is the first installment in the Rocky (film series), ''Rocky'' franchise and also star ...
'' which was a hit. Shortly before the film's release, Nargis died of
pancreatic cancer Pancreatic cancer arises when cell (biology), cells in the pancreas, a glandular organ behind the stomach, begin to multiply out of control and form a Neoplasm, mass. These cancerous cells have the malignant, ability to invade other parts of ...
. Dutt founded the '' Nargis Dutt Foundation'' in her memory for the care of cancer patients. In 1982, he appeared alongside
Dharmendra Dharmendra Kewal Krishan Deol (born 8 December 1935), known mononymously as Dharmendra, is an Indian actor, producer, and politician who is primarily known for his work in Hindi films. Dharmendra is widely considered one of the greatest, most h ...
and
Jeetendra Jeetendra (born Ravi Kapoor ; 7 April 1942) is an Indian actor who is known for his work in Hindi cinema. He is regarded as one of the greatest actors of Hindi cinema. He is noted for his acting, style and dance. He has worked in more than Je ...
in Rajkumar Kohli's action thriller '' Badle Ki Aag'', which was a box office success. The following year, he directed, produced and starred in the drama film '' Dard Ka Rishta'', alongside
Ashok Kumar Ashok Kumar (born Kumudlal Ganguly; 13 October 1911 – 10 December 2001), was an Indian actor who attained iconic status in Indian cinema. He is regarded as one of the greatest actors of Indian cinema. He is considered to be the first Super-st ...
, Reena Roy,
Smita Patil Smita Patil (17 October 1955 – 13 December 1986) was an Indian actress who primarily worked in Hindi and Marathi language, Marathi films. Regarded among the greatest and finest actresses in the history of Indian cinema, she was known for her ...
and Khushbu Sundar. Despite its heavy theme, ''Dard Ka Rishta'' did well commercially and proved to be a hit venture. 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''. This changed in 1986 with the critically acclaimed hit films like '' Kala Dhanda Goray Log'' and ''
Watan Ke Rakhwale ''Watan Ke Rakhwale'' () is a 1987 Indian Hindi, Hindi-language action thriller film directed by T. Rama Rao. It features an ensemble cast of Ashok Kumar, Sunil Dutt, Dharmendra, Mithun Chakraborty, Sridevi, Moushumi Chatterjee, Puneet Issar, ...
'' in 1987. 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. He later appeared in supporting roles in early 90s films which were '' Virodhi'', ''
Kshatriya Kshatriya () (from Sanskrit ''kṣatra'', "rule, authority"; also called Rajanya) is one of the four varnas (social orders) of Hindu society and is associated with the warrior aristocracy. The Sanskrit term ''kṣatriyaḥ'' is used in the con ...
'', '' Parampara'' and '' Phool'' then he took retirement from films to completely focus on his political career. Dutt returned to films once again in 2003 with
Rajkumar Hirani Rajkumar "Raju" Hirani (born 20 November 1962) is an Indian filmmaker known for his works in Hindi films. He is the recipient of several accolades, including four National Film Awards and 11 Filmfare Awards. Hirani is referred as one of the m ...
's satirical comedy drama '' Munna Bhai M.B.B.S.'' which had his son in the lead. ''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. Today, it is considered a classic and one of the best films ever made in the history of Indian cinema. It marked Sunil Dutt's last film appearance; he died two years after its release. '' Rediff.com'' described his presence as "the most appropriate screen goodbye".


Political career

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 esigned in 1993 in protest over religious violence 1999, and 2004). He worked actively for the cause of slum dwellers, refugees and displaced people. 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 The Golden Temple is a gurdwara located in Amritsar, Punjab, India. It is the pre-eminent spiritual site of Sikhism. It is one of the Holy place, holiest sites in Sikhism, alongside the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur in Kartarpur, Pakistan, ...
) to establish communal harmony and brotherhood. 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. 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. 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 Manmohan Singh (26 September 1932 – 26 December 2024) was an Indian economist, bureaucrat, academician, and statesman, who served as the prime minister of India from 2004 to 2014. He was the fourth longest-serving prime minister after Jaw ...
'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. 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.


Personal life

Dutt married actress
Nargis Nargis Dutt (born Fatima Rashid, also known as Nirmala Dutt; 1 June 1929 – 3 May 1981) known mononyomusly as Nargis was an Indian actress and politician who worked in Hindi cinema. Regarded as one of the greatest and finest actresses in the ...
, a
Muslim Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...
, also of Punjabi Mohyal descent, on 11 March 1958. Prior to their marriage, Nargis converted to
Hinduism Hinduism () is an Hypernymy and hyponymy, umbrella term for a range of Indian religions, Indian List of religions and spiritual traditions#Indian religions, religious and spiritual traditions (Sampradaya, ''sampradaya''s) that are unified ...
and adopted the name Nirmala Dutt. Reportedly, Dutt had saved her life from a fire on the sets of ''
Mother India ''Mother India'' is a 1957 Indian epic drama film, directed by Mehboob Khan and starring Nargis, Sunil Dutt, Rajendra Kumar and Raaj Kumar. A remake of Khan's earlier film '' Aurat'' (1940), it is the story of a poverty-stricken village wo ...
''. They had three children:
Sanjay Dutt Sanjay Balraj Dutt (born 29 July 1959) is an Indian actor, playback singer and film producer who works in Hindi cinema in addition to a few Telugu, Kannada, Tamil, Punjabi films. Dutt has won several accolades and acted in over 160 films. ...
, Namrata Dutt, and
Priya Dutt Priya Dutt Roncon (born 28 August 1966) is an Indian people, Indian politician and social worker. She was elected for the first time to the 14th Lok Sabha from Mumbai North West (Lok Sabha constituency), Mumbai North West constituency in Mahara ...
. Sanjay went on to become a successful film actor. Namrata married actor Kumar Gaurav, son of veteran actor
Rajendra Kumar Rajendra Kumar (born as Rajendra Kumar Tuli; 20 July 1927 – 12 July 1999), was an Indian actor who starred in Bollywood films. Starting his career in 1949, he appeared in more than 80 films in a career spanning over four decades. Kumar was on ...
who had appeared alongside Nargis and Dutt in ''Mother India''. Priya became a politician and a Member of Parliament (
Lok Sabha The Lok Sabha, also known as the House of the People, is the lower house of Parliament of India which is Bicameralism, bicameral, where the upper house is Rajya Sabha. Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha, Members of the Lok Sabha are elected by a ...
). Nargis once revealed after marrying Dutt 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. 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 Dhaka ( or ; , ), List of renamed places in Bangladesh, formerly known as Dacca, is the capital city, capital and list of cities and towns in Bangladesh, largest city of Bangladesh. It is one of the list of largest cities, largest and list o ...
, after the liberation war of Bangladesh in 1971. 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 Vinod Khanna (6 October 1946 – 27 April 2017) was an Indian actor, film producer, and politician known for his work in Hindi cinema. He is regarded as one of the greatest actors of Hindi cinema. Recognised as a style and fashion icon, he wa ...
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. 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. One year after her death, the Nargis Dutt Memorial Cancer Foundation was established by Dutt in her memory. 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. 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. 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.


Accolades

* 1964 – Filmfare Award for Best Actor for '' Mujhe Jeene Do'' * 1964 – National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi for '' Yaadein'' * 1966 – Filmfare Award for Best Actor for '' Khandan'' * 1968 – BFJA Award for Best Actor (Hindi) for ''
Milan Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the List of cities in Italy, second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nea ...
'' * 1968 –
Padma Shri The Padma Shri (IAST: ''padma śrī'', lit. 'Lotus Honour'), also spelled Padma Shree, is the fourth-highest Indian honours system, civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan. In ...
* 1982 – Sheriff of Bombay * 1995 –
Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award The Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award, initially named Raj Kapoor Award for Lifetime Achievement after Raj Kapoor is given by the ''Filmfare'' magazine as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films. List of honourees † - Indicates ...
* 1998 – Rajiv Gandhi National Sadbhavana Award * 1999 – Screen Lifetime Achievement Award * 2000 – Anandalok Awards
Lifetime Achievement Award Lifetime achievement awards are awarded by various organizations, to recognize contributions over the whole of a career, rather than or in addition to single contributions. Such awards, and organizations presenting them, include: A * A.C. ...
* 2001 – Zee Cine Award for Lifetime Achievement * 2005 – Glory of India Award by IIFS, London * 2005 – Phalke Ratna Award by Dadasaheb Phalke Academy (posthumously)


Artistry and legacy

Dutt is regarded as one of the greatest, humblest and most handsome actors of Indian cinema. He was noted as the method actor and dedicated politician who won millions of hearts with his honesty, compassion, charm, perseverance, hard work and simplicity. '' 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 ''Mother India'' is a 1957 Indian epic drama film, directed by Mehboob Khan and starring Nargis, Sunil Dutt, Rajendra Kumar and Raaj Kumar. A remake of Khan's earlier film '' Aurat'' (1940), it is the story of a poverty-stricken village wo ...
'' or Bhola in '' Padosan''. Besides acting, he successfully made the rare transition from film to politics.” One of the most successful actors of the 1960s and 1970s, he appeared in
Box Office India Box Office India is an Indian film website dedicated to tracking, reporting, and analyzing the financial performance of films released in the Hindi entertainment industry. Established in 2003, Box Office India has become a prominent source of ...
's "Top Actors" list two times in 1966 and 1967. In 2022, Dutt was placed in ''
Outlook India ''Outlook'' is a weekly general interest English and Hindi news magazine published in India. History and profile ''Outlook'' was first issued in October 1995 with Vinod Mehta as the editor in chief. It is owned by the Rajan Raheja Group. Th ...
''s "75 Best Bollywood Actors" list. Dutt was also noted as a serial talent-spotter, giving major breaks to then struggling actors including
Amitabh Bachchan Amitabh Bachchan (; 11 October 1942) is an Indian actor who works in Hindi cinema. He is often considered one of the greatest, most accomplished and commercially successful actors in the history of Indian cinema.* * * * * With a cinemati ...
,
Vinod Khanna Vinod Khanna (6 October 1946 – 27 April 2017) was an Indian actor, film producer, and politician known for his work in Hindi cinema. He is regarded as one of the greatest actors of Hindi cinema. Recognised as a style and fashion icon, he wa ...
,
Ranjeet Ranjeet (born as Gopal Bedi; 12 September 1942) is an Indian actor and film director. He has mostly played villain roles in over 200 Hindi films. He has also played a positive character in the TV series '' Aisa Des Hai Mera''. He has also ...
,
Shakti Kapoor Shakti Kapoor (born Sunil Kapoor; 3 September 1952) is an Indian actor and comedian who appears in Bollywood films. Known for his villainous and comic roles in Hindi films, he has featured in over 700 films. In the 1980s and 1990s, Kapoor team ...
and
Johnny Lever John Prakash Rao Janumala, better known by his stage name Johnny Lever (born on 14 August 1957) is an Indian actor and comedian who is known for his works in Hindi cinema. He is one of the most recognised comedic actors in India and is widely ...
in his home productions ''Reshma Aur Shera'' ''
Rocky ''Rocky'' is a 1976 American independent film, independent sports drama film directed by John G. Avildsen and written by and starring Sylvester Stallone. It is the first installment in the Rocky (film series), ''Rocky'' franchise and also star ...
'' and '' Dard Ka Rishta'' respectively. 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." Farhana Farook of ''
Filmfare ''Filmfare'' is an Indian English-language fortnightly magazine published by Worldwide Media. Acknowledged as one of India's most popular entertainment magazines, it publishes pieces involving news, interviews, photos, videos, reviews, events, ...
'' remarked, "Sunil Dutt was way beyond his films." 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''. His films ''
Mother India ''Mother India'' is a 1957 Indian epic drama film, directed by Mehboob Khan and starring Nargis, Sunil Dutt, Rajendra Kumar and Raaj Kumar. A remake of Khan's earlier film '' Aurat'' (1940), it is the story of a poverty-stricken village wo ...
'', ''Padosan'' and '' Munna Bhai M.B.B.S'' were voted some of the greatest films ever made in polls by ''
News18 Network18 Media & Investments Limited, ( d/b/a Network18 Group) is an Indian media conglomerate owned by the Reliance Industries, headed by Mukesh Ambani. Rahul Joshi is the managing director, chief executive officer and group editor-in-chief ...
''. His directorial films ''Yaadein'' was selected in the
Guinness Book of World Records ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a British reference book published annually, listi ...
in the category ''Fewest actors in a narrative film''. For ''Reshma Aur Shera'', he was nominated for the Golden Berlin Bear at the
Berlin International Film Festival The Berlin International Film Festival (), usually called the Berlinale (), is an annual film festival held in Berlin, Germany. Founded in 1951 and originally run in June, the festival has been held every February since 1978 and is one of Europ ...
. Shaikh Ayaz of ''
The Indian Express ''The Indian Express'' is an English-language Indian daily newspaper founded in 1932 by P. Varadarajulu Naidu. It is headquartered in Noida, owned by the ''Indian Express Group''. It was later taken over by Ramnath Goenka. In 1999, eight y ...
'' 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."
Yash Chopra Yash Raj Chopra (27 September 1932 21 October 2012) was an Indian film director and film producer who worked in Bollywood, Hindi cinema. The founding chairman of the film production and distribution company Yash Raj Films, Chopra was the reci ...
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." 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." Jayant K Sinha from ''
The Economic Times ''The Economic Times'' is an Indian English-language business-focused daily newspaper. Owned by The Times Group, ''The Economic Times'' began publication in 1961 and it is sold in all major cities in India. As of 2012, it is the world's secon ...
'' 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." '' 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." Reader’s Digest described Dutt as a rare individual who successfully balanced stardom with selfless public service, highlighting his humanitarian values and political integrity. Actor
Paresh Rawal Paresh Rawal (born 30 May 1955) is an Indian actor, comedian, film producer and politician known for his works primarily in Hindi cinema, Hindi films. He has Paresh Rawal filmography, appeared in over 240 films and is the recipient of various L ...
portrayed Dutt for ''
Sanju ''Sanju'' is a 2018 Indian Hindi-language biographical comedy drama film directed and edited by Rajkumar Hirani, written by Hirani and Abhijat Joshi and produced by Hirani and Vidhu Vinod Chopra under the banners Rajkumar Hirani Films and Vi ...
'' (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.”


Death

Dutt died of a heart attack in his sleep on 25 May 2005 at his residence in
Bandra Bandra ( æːɳɖɾa is a coastal suburb located in Mumbai, the largest city of the Konkan division in Maharashtra, India. The area is located to the immediate north of the River Mithi, which separates Bandra from the Mumbai City district. It ...
, West Mumbai, at age 75. He was the Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports in the Union Government led by
Manmohan Singh Manmohan Singh (26 September 1932 – 26 December 2024) was an Indian economist, bureaucrat, academician, and statesman, who served as the prime minister of India from 2004 to 2014. He was the fourth longest-serving prime minister after Jaw ...
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 honors at the Santa Cruz Crematorium in Mumbai. His body was draped in the Indian tri-colour and carried by the military. After his death, his seat in the Parliament was contested by his daughter,
Priya Dutt Priya Dutt Roncon (born 28 August 1966) is an Indian people, Indian politician and social worker. She was elected for the first time to the 14th Lok Sabha from Mumbai North West (Lok Sabha constituency), Mumbai North West constituency in Mahara ...
, who won it and was a Member of Parliament until May 2014. In 2005, Dutt was posthumously honoured with the Phalke Ratna Award by the ''Dadasaheb Phalke Academy''. Following his demise, numerous figures expressed their condolences. President
APJ Abdul Kalam Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam ( ; 15 October 193127 July 2015) was an Indian aerospace scientist and statesman who served as the president of India from 2002 to 2007. Born and raised in a Muslim family in Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu, Kala ...
called Dutt "a gem of a human being". Former Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh Manmohan Singh (26 September 1932 – 26 December 2024) was an Indian economist, bureaucrat, academician, and statesman, who served as the prime minister of India from 2004 to 2014. He was the fourth longest-serving prime minister after Jaw ...
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."
Lata Mangeshkar Lata Mangeshkar (; born Hema Mangeshkar; 28 September 1929 – 6 February 2022) was an Indian playback singer and occasional music composer. She is considered to be one of the greatest and most influential singers of the Indian subcontinent. He ...
said, “He was a rare human being. People like him are difficult to find." Actress
Shabana Azmi Shabana Azmi (born 18 September 1950) is an Indian actress of film, television and theatre. Her career in the Hindi cinema, Hindi film industry has spanned Shabana Azmi filmography, over 160 films, mostly within independent and neorealist paral ...
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." Congress leaders also expressed their grief,
Salman Khurshid Salman Khurshid Alam Khan (born 1 January 1953) is an Indian politician, designated senior advocate, author and law teacher. He was the Cabinet Minister of the Ministry of External Affairs. He is a member of the Indian National Congress who wa ...
said, "In politics, people always poke fun at each other. But Sunil Dutt never did that. He was a good, clean man." Rajeev Shukla said, "He was a wonderful human being. A gentleman in politics. In his death the polity has lost a valuable leader." Prabha Rau termed Dutt "a man of peace". Film critic Saibal Chatterjee remarked, "His demise has robbed us of a stellar personality. He sought and surmounted challenges all his life."


Honours and tributes

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. His Autograph was preserved at Bollywood Walk of Fame at Bandra Bandstand. In 2005, a special event was organized at a film festival to honor Dutt's life and contributions. In 2010, a commemorative postage stamp of Dutt was issued by Indian Motion Pictures Producers Association (IMPPA). Giving him a tribute, his co-actresses like Vyjayanthimala said, "He was a true gentleman, a progressive man and a rational artiste."
Asha Parekh Asha Parekh (born 2 October 1942) is an Indian actress, film director, and producer who worked in Hindi films. Regarded as one of the greatest actresses of Hindi cinema, Parekh has worked in more than 85 films, in a career spanning over four d ...
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."
Mala Sinha Mala Sinha (born Alda Sinha; 11 November 1936) is a former Indian actress who mainly worked in Hindi, Bengali films. Initially starting her career with regional cinema, she went on to become a top leading actress in Hindi Cinema in the 1960s a ...
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." Talking about Dutt’s performance in ''Mother India'',
Amitabh Bachchan Amitabh Bachchan (; 11 October 1942) is an Indian actor who works in Hindi cinema. He is often considered one of the greatest, most accomplished and commercially successful actors in the history of Indian cinema.* * * * * With a cinemati ...
was impressed and considered him as “First Angry Young Man of Bollywood”. Singer
Mahendra Kapoor Mahendra Kapoor (9 January 1934 – 27 September 2008) was an Indian playback singer. In a long career spanning decades, his repertoire included popular songs such as ''Chalo ekbaar phir se Ajnabi ban jayen hum dono'' ( Gumrah) and ''Neele Gagan ...
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. In 2022, ShemarooMe gave tribute to Dutt through the shows ''Screen Legends'' and ''The Thorough Gentleman''. 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."


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''. Also that year, ''Darlingji: The True Love Story of Nargis and Sunil Dutt'' was released by Kishwar Desai. * In 2018,
Paresh Rawal Paresh Rawal (born 30 May 1955) is an Indian actor, comedian, film producer and politician known for his works primarily in Hindi cinema, Hindi films. He has Paresh Rawal filmography, appeared in over 240 films and is the recipient of various L ...
played Sunil Dutt, in his son's biopic ''
Sanju ''Sanju'' is a 2018 Indian Hindi-language biographical comedy drama film directed and edited by Rajkumar Hirani, written by Hirani and Abhijat Joshi and produced by Hirani and Vidhu Vinod Chopra under the banners Rajkumar Hirani Films and Vi ...
''. The film is ranked as one of the highest grossing Indian films of 2018.


Filmography


See also

*
Radio Ceylon Radio Ceylon ( ''Lanka Guwan Viduli Sevaya'', , ''ilankai vanoli'') is a radio station based in Sri Lanka (formerly Ceylon) and the first radio station in Asia. Broadcasting was started on an experimental basis by the colonial Telegraph Departme ...
* List of Hindi broadcasters of Radio Ceylon


Further reading

* ''Mr. and Mrs. Dutt: Memories of our Parents'', Namrata Dutt Kumar and
Priya Dutt Priya Dutt Roncon (born 28 August 1966) is an Indian people, Indian politician and social worker. She was elected for the first time to the 14th Lok Sabha from Mumbai North West (Lok Sabha constituency), Mumbai North West constituency in Mahara ...
, 2007, Roli Books. .To Mr. and Mrs. Dutt, with love (Literary Review)
The Hindu ''The Hindu'' is an Indian English-language daily newspaper owned by The Hindu Group, headquartered in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. It was founded as a weekly publication in 1878 by the Triplicane Six, becoming a daily in 1889. It is one of the India ...
, 7 October 2007.
* ''Darlingji: The True Love Story of Nargis and Sunil Dutt'', Kishwar Desai. 2007, HarperCollins. .


Notes


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Dutt, Sunil 1929 births 2005 deaths Indian National Congress politicians from Maharashtra People from Jhelum Indian male film actors Male actors in Hindi cinema Film producers from Mumbai Indian male radio actors Recipients of the Padma Shri in arts Sheriffs of Mumbai Indian actor-politicians Male actors in Punjabi cinema India MPs 2004–2009 India MPs 1984–1989 India MPs 1989–1991 India MPs 1991–1996 India MPs 1999–2004 Hindi-language film directors Male actors from Mumbai Lok Sabha members from Maharashtra Members of the Cabinet of India 20th-century Indian male actors Pahari Pothwari people Jai Hind College alumni Filmfare Awards winners Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award winners Sanjay Dutt People from Punjab Province (British India)