Actor Sanjay Dutt said he doesn't want to go through what he has faced in life again. The actor has been in the news for the movie Sanju, which is based on his life and shows the various ups and downs the actor has faced, including his long tryst with the law. The film is being panned by critics for whitewashing Dutt's image.
"Who will invest Rs 50 crore for a whitewash job? I told everything to the filmmakers and they decided to use what they wanted," Dutt told WION in an exclusive interview. "The idea of a biopic came from Manyata. She spoke to the director when I was in jail," the actor said.
Recounting the events of his life, Dutt said that a gun 'destroyed his life'. He was convicted under stringent anti-terror law TADA (which was later repealed) after it was reported that a gun was discovered from his house days after the 1993 Mumbai blasts in which more than 250 people were killed. "I have paid a huge price for keeping a gun at my place," Dutt said.
The actor was arrested from Mumbai airport in 1993 when he was riding a wave of success with several hit movies. Dutt, in his confessional statement to the police, had said he kept the gun to protect his family in the wake of threats during Mumbai riots after Babri mosque demolition.
Dutt faced a long legal battle which affected his personal as well as professional life. The terror charges slapped on him meant he was constantly under police scanner and faced many restrictions. His legal struggle has been shown extensively in the film, where he is seen fighting the terrorist label.
"I am not a terrorist, please read the confession. I was sentenced under Arms Act. But I did not run away. I came back like a man and faced arrest," Dutt said.
Among the most talked about things about the actor is his relationships with many women, a topic that features in the biopic too. But the film is silent about his marriage with Rhea Pillai and Richa Sharma, it only shows actress Diya Mirza portraying the role of Manyata. "The number of women I had been was shared with the filmmakers. I did not tell the filmmakers what to keep and what not to keep. I did not ask them to not include my life with Rhea, Richa or other women. The filmmakers selected the most important parts. Maybe some characters were left out because of the duration of the film," the actor said.
People have appreciated the film because of its honesty, he added.
Talking about his equation with his parents, the actor said his father Sunil Dutt was very strict with him and had a lot of expectations from him. "I wanted to settle abroad and sell steak. But my father came to US and asked me to return," he said. Dutt further said that his mother Nargis had a "profound impact" on his life.
Sunil Dutt was a renowned actor who later joined politics and became a Congress stalwart. So is Sanjay also planning to join politics? "No, I don't want to join politics. My sister Priya is taking our father's legacy forward," Dutt said.
"I also want to put this on record that there is no difference between me and my sisters and both Namrata and Priya get along well with Manyata," he said.
In a career spanning more than 35 years, Sanjay Dutt has won many awards. He is currently busy promoting his upcoming film 'Sahib, Biwi and Gangster 3'.
