My innocence is intact: Sanjay Dutt on Mumbai attack case

The 58-year-old was arrested for illegal possession of arms in a case related to the 1993 Mumbai blasts


Ians September 11, 2017
PHOTO: INDIAN EXPRESS

Actor Sanjay Dutt - who has fought battles with drug abuse, faced a jail term and had a tumultuous personal life - says that there are many lessons he has learnt and that his 'innocence' is intact.

Sanjay, who made his debut in Bollywood with Rocky in 1981, put his personal circumstances in jeopardy through drug addiction. His life took a turn for the worse when he was arrested for illegal possession of weapons and convicted.

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Sanjay was recently interviewed regarding his upcoming comeback film Bhoomi, his first venture after coming back from jail. The actor was asked about what he learnt from the dark years of his life to which  he responded, "A lot... I learnt a lot. I was innocent then, I am still innocent, but there are some life lessons learnt."

The 58-year-old was arrested for illegal possession of arms in a case related to the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts that claimed over 250 deaths and several hundred injuries.

Sanjay, who is a father of three, says the present times are frightening for parents who constantly have to  worry about the security of their children. He expressed concern about how vulnerable he feels as a parent considering the rise in the number of crimes against girls.

"It's scary... I mean kids are not even safe in school, after whatever happened to the little girl in Gurgaon (rape of a five-year-old school girl). It can horrify any parent. Everybody has to be very careful as far as their kids are concerned. It's a frightening time for parents regarding the security of their children," the actor said.

"As a father, I always tell my kids to do their activities and come back home, spend time with us, spend time at home, because at least that is safer... Baahar mahaul sahi nahi hai. I think this is the time when we not only should start respecting women but also be careful and protective towards children," he asserted.

The Khalnayak star has a daughter named Trishala with his first wife Richa Sharma, who died of brain tumor in New York in 1996. Trishala is presently located in the US. He also has a pair of twins with his third wife Maanyata - a boy named Shahraan and a girl named Iqra.

Given that Sanjay lived a difficult life, the actor was asked if there is any chapter that he would like to re-write? "No," he responded, preferring to talk about Bhoomi instead, which he described as an 'amazing story of a father and daughter'.

Under the helm of National Award-winning Omung Kumar, who also directed Mary Kom, Bhoomi features Aditi Rao Hydari as Sanjay's onscreen daughter.

"The film talks about the special bonding of a parent and a child. It's a story about everything that I believe in - women's empowerment and gender equality. And Omung is a fantastic director, Aditi is a very good actor... The whole shooting was superb," the Munna Bhai star said.

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Sanjay was questioned if he was nervous about facing the camera after a long time? "No," he was quick to respond.

The star was also asked which experience was more exciting, facing the camera for the first time ever or facing it after spending some troublesome years and starting afresh. "I swear I cannot remember my first day of facing a camera... It was 1979 or 1980, I guess... long, long back," Sanjay said.

The Agneepath actor believes Bollywood has evolved for good in the recent years. "It is more professional now. Films are made on time, which is great. People are doing one film at a time, so they are focused, which is a good sign,"  he said.

Sanjay is now looking forward to work on Tigmanshu Dhulia's Saheb, Biwi Aur Gangster 3.

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