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Mini Biography

Actor, social activist and politician. Sunil Dutt wore many hats and excelled in a plethora of roles that came his way - both on and off screen.

Born on June 6th, 1929, Sunil Dutt grew up as Balraj Dutt in a family that had survived the Partition of India. A student of Mumbai's Jai Hind college, he first started off as radio show host and celebrity interviewer, which led to his first encounter with the glamor world.

Interestingly, wife-to-be Nargis was one of the celebrities he met in the course of his work. Soon, Dutt got a chance to enter the film-world, when director Ramesh Saigal offered him the hero's role in his Nalini Jaywant starrer 'Railway Platform' (1955).

'Ek Hi Raasta' (1956), marked the start of a seven-film long association with B R Chopra. Dutt's true breakthrough came with Mehboob Khan's magnum opus 'Mother India' (1957).

His portrayal of Birju, Nargi's rebellious younger son, portrayed a raw, urgent energy. Dutt's association with Nargis in the movie resulted in a more serious one, when he married her after the release of the film.

Dutt's role in women-oriented films like 'Sadhna' (1958), 'Sujata' (1959) and 'Main Chup Rahungi' (1962) were well-appreciated. Noted filmmakers like Bimal Roy, Hrishikesh Mukherji and B R Chopra dared to defy Sunil Dutt's established rebellious Birju image and cast him as a sensitive lover.

Dutt turned producer in the early sixties with a couple of offbeat movies - 'Yeh Raaste Hain Pyar Ke' (1963), where heroine Leela Naidu has an adulterous relationship and 'Mujhe Jeene Do' (1963) where he played a dacoit.

In his cinematic association with B R Chopra, Dutt gave three big hits in the sixties - 'Gumraah' (1963), 'Waqt' (1965) and 'Humraaz' (1967). He also worked with South Indian filmmakers, which resulted in emotion-heavy, rural-based hits with Nutan like 'Khandaan' and 'Milan'.

In 1967, he had a hat-trick of hits with 'Milan', 'Meherban' and 'Humraaz'. His role of a buffoon in Mehmood's 'Padosan' (1968) was much appreciated.

In 1981, Dutt's world was rocked when his wife Nargis died after a protracted battle with her cancer. He later joined politics and social work.

But the actor in Dutt continued to surface during the last decade with movies with select filmmakers like J P Dutta 'Kshatriya' and Yash Chopra 'Parampara'. His last screen cameo was in Rajkumar Hirani's immensely popular laugh riot 'Munnabhai MBBS', where he played on-screen father to his son Sanjay.

Spouse

Trivia

Father of Sanjay Dutt, son-in-law of Jaddanbai and brother-in-law of Anwar Hussain

Has three children: one son, Bollywood actor, Sanjay Dutt, and two daughters, Namrata and Priya. His daughter-in-law, Sanjay's first wife, died of cancer. His second daughter-in-law is Rhea Pillai.

Prior to his death, he was youth affairs and sports minister with the ruling Congress coalition government. He was a popular politician and one of the first actors from Bombay's huge movie industry to enter politics. He was elected five times as a member of parliament.

His daughter (Namrata) is actor Kumar Gaurav's wife and actor Rajendra Kumar's daughter-in-law.

Declared his assets of around 200 million Rupees before going for elections.

Sunil Dutt's daughter, Priya, will be the Congress party candidate for the Bombay North West Constituency, which was represented by her dad.

Besides being a big supporter of secularism, he was totally against the concept of dowry and it is said that he told his wife to come in the same dress that she wore during the wedding to his house. He also made a film "Yeh Aag Kab Bujhegi" on this topic.

Survived a plane crash and a bad car accident.

... Sunil Dutt (far right).

Sanjay Dutt plays a doctor with a ...