May 25, 2005 08:24 PM
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(Updated May 25, 2005 08:24 PM)
Sunil Dutt wore many hats and excelled in a plethora of roles that came his way -- both on and off screen. Born on June six, 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 glamour 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 world of cinema 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 BR Chopra. Dutt's real breakthrough came with Mehboob Khan's magnum opus `Mother India' (1957). His portrayal of Birju, Nargis' 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 roles in women-oriented films like `Sadhna' (1958), `Sujata' (1959) and `Main Chup Rahungi' (1962) were well-appreciated. Noted filmmakers like Bimal Roy (Sujata, Usne Kaha Tha), Hrishikesh Mukherji (Chhaya) and BR Chopra (Sadhna) 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 tough-as-a-nails dacoit. In his cinemantic association with BR 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 1971, he produced the blood-splattered desert love story `Reshma Aur Shera' which failed to do well at the box office. Still, hits like `Zakhmee' (1975), `Nagin' (1976) and `Jaani Dushman' (1979) ensured that Dutt was seen romancing much-younger heroines like Rekha (Nagin, Ahimsa) and Reena Roy (Paapi, Jaani Dushman).
In 1981, Dutt's world was rocked when his wife Nargis died after a protracted battle with her cancer. In the same year, his production `Rocky' starring his son Sanjay, hit the screens. Subsequently Dutt produced a film on cancer called `Dard Ka Rishta'(1983) and later joined politics and social work. But the actor in Dutt continued to surface during the last decade with movies with select filmmakers like JP 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.
Few know that dutt entertained Indian Army Jawans after conflicts with China (1962) and Pakistan (1965 and 1971) by organising Ajanta Arts Welfare troupe and visiting various sectors where Indian Army jawans were wounded in action. He led a cultural delegation of eminent artists to Bangladesh (1971) to entertain Indian Army and Mukti Bahini.
Having lost wife Nargis to cancer, the cause of cancer cure was close to his heart. He made the film, ''Dard Ka Rishta'' on cancer and its cure and donated its profit to Tata Memorial Hospital and offered the film free to Pakistan and Bangladesh for raising funds for cancer treatment. He also brought drugs from the united states for India's first bone marrow transplant operation at Tata Memorial Cancer Hospital.
Dutt also helped former Pakistan cricketer Imran Khan raise over a lakh pounds for building a cancer hospital in Pakistan named after the latter's mother. After the killer quake in Latur and Osmanabad districts in 1993, Dutt rallied around and collected and handed over to Maharashtra Chief Minister, Rs. 42 lakh for the earthquake victims of Maharashtra and personally visited and provided blankets and utensils to the quake victims.
He organised and led a relay hunger strike of artistes and technicians of film industry for peace in Mumbai after 1992-93 riots and resigned as a member of parliament in protest against the riots.
Dutt had also served in the army as temporary havildar clerk for about a year. As a refugee in 1947, he got a job as a civilian clerk at headquarters of Royal India Army Supply Corp, Lucknow to support his displaced family.
Dutt was also famous for his padyatras.
He organised and led Mahashanti Padyatra from Mumbai to Amritsar in 1987, travelling 2,000 kilometres with daughter Priya and 80 other individuals for peace and harmony in Punjab. He undertook a peace march with 14 persons and daughter Priya in 1988, from Nagasaki to Hiroshima (Japan) covering 500 kilometres for world peace and nuclear disarmament.
In 1955, Dutt drove through Singapore, Malaysia, Myanmar, north eastern states of India, West Bengal, Bihar and reached Red Fort, travelling 10,000 kilometres spreading awareness among youth on the sacrifices of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose and Indian National Army. Dutt had also served as director of the Board of Maharashtra Film, Stage and Cultural Development Corporation and also as a member of Film and Television Institute of India. He also served as a member of the jury at Leipzig film festival.
Dutt, whose filmstar son Sanjay had to undergo an intensive therapy for drug abuse, had been appointed chairman of anti-narcotics cell of AICC by the then Congress President Rajiv Gandhi. Dutt was honoured with Rajiv Gandhi National Sadbhavana award in 1998, by the then president Dr Shankar Dayal Sharma for promoting peace, harmony, fight against violence and terrorism.
He also received the Maulana Abul Kalam Azad award for national integration and communal harmony in 1997.
This is one small contruibtion form my seid e to this multi-talented personality.
Please give your comments and pay homage to this great soul.
