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Sunil Dutt (born Balraj Raghunath Dutt; 6 June 1929 – 25 May 2005) was an Indian actor, film producer, director and politician. Dutt was honoured with Padma Shri, in 1968, by the Government of India, for his contribution to Indian cinema.[2][3]
Sunil Dutt | |
|---|---|
 Dutt at his New Delhi office in 2005 | |
| Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports | |
| In office 22 May 2004 – 25 May 2005 | |
| Prime Minister | Manmohan Singh |
| Preceded by | Vikram Verma |
| Succeeded by | Mani Shankar Aiyar |
| Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha | |
| In office 6 October 1999 – 25 May 2005 | |
| Preceded by | Madhukar Sarpotdar |
| Succeeded by | Priya Dutt |
| Constituency | Mumbai North West, Maharashtra |
| In office 31 December 1984 – 16 May 1996 | |
| Preceded by | Ram Jethmalani |
| Succeeded by | Madhukar Sarpotdar |
| Constituency | Mumbai North West, Maharashtra |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Balraj Raghunath Dutt 6 June 1929 Khurd, Punjab, British India (present-day Punjab, Pakistan)[1] |
| Died | 25 May 2005 (aged 75) Mumbai, Maharashtra, India |
| Cause of death | Heart attack |
| Political party | Indian National Congress |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 3, including Sanjay Dutt and Priya Dutt |
| Relatives | See Dutt family |
| Residence | |
| Alma mater | Jai Hind College |
| Occupation |
|
| Awards | Padma Shri (1968) |
Dutt debuted in 1955 with the Hindi film Railway Platform.[4] He rose to prominence with highly successful and acclaimed films, such as Ek Hi Raasta (1956) and Mother India (1957) and went on to deliver a number of hugely popular films in a career that spanned 48 years.[5][6]
Dutt married his Mother India co-star Nargis in 1958. Together they had three children, including the actor Sanjay Dutt.[7] In 1984 he joined the Indian National Congress party and was elected to the Parliament of India for five terms from the constituency of Mumbai North West. He was the Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports in the Manmohan Singh government (2004–2005) and also a former Sheriff of Mumbai.[8][9]
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Sunil Dutt was born on 6 June 1929 in Nakka Khurd in the Jhelum District of the Punjab Province of British India (now in Punjab, Pakistan) into a Punjabi Hindu family of the Hussaini Brahmin caste, as Balraj Dutt to father Diwan Raghunath Dutt and mother Kulwantidevi Dutt.[10][1][2][11][12]
Dutt belonged to a family of landlords.[13] When he was five years old, Dutt's father died. When he was 18, the Partition of India began inciting Hindu-Muslim violence across the country.[13] A Muslim friend of Dutt's father named Yakub, saved their entire family.[14] The family resettled in the small village of Mandauli on the bank of the river Yamuna, located in the Yamunanagar District of East Punjab (now in Haryana).
Later in life, Dutt moved to Lucknow in the United Provinces with his mother, Kulwantidevi Dutt, and spent a long time in the Aminabad Bazaar neighbourhood during graduation. He then moved to Bombay, where he joined Jai Hind College of the University of Bombay in the Churchgate neighbourhood of South Bombay, as an undergraduate and took up a job at the city's BEST Transportation Engineering division.[2][15] He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in History (Hons.) in 1954.[2][16]
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Early career and rise to prominence (1955–1957)
Director Ramesh Saigal was instrumental in giving Dutt a break in the film Railway Platform (1955) when the latter was hosting the show, Lipton Ki Mehfil on Radio Ceylon.[17] While covering the Dilip Kumar film Shikast in 1953, Dutt met director Saigal, who impressed by his personality and voice, offered him a role in his upcoming film. Saigal came up with the new screen name "Sunil Dutt" for the debutante actor whose real name was Balraj Dutt to avoid name conflicts with the then veteran actor Balraj Sahni.[18][19]
He shot to stardom with B.R. Chopra's family drama Ek Hi Raasta (1956) and Mehboob Khan's epic drama Mother India (1957).[20][21][22] 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.[23][24] It was dubbed in several European languages including Spanish, French and Russian; it did substantial business in Greece, Spain and Russia and was released in the Eastern Bloc countries.[25] Technicolor arranged one screening of the film in Paris on 30 June 1958, under the name Les bracelets d'or ("The Gold Bracelets").[25] It did minimal business in Paris, but fared better in French colonies. It was successful in the Latin American countries of Peru, Bolivia, and Ecuador.[25] Mother India was also acclaimed across the Arab world, 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.[26][25][27][28] It went on to win several accolades and was also featured in the book 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die.[29][30]
Widespread success, setback and resurgence (1958–1979)
He once again collaborated with B.R. Chopra for Sadhna (1958) opposite Vyjayanthimala.[31] The film did extremely well at the box office and went on to become a superhit.[32] The following year, he starred in Bimal Roy's Sujata and Shakti Samanta's Insan Jaag Utha.[33] While the former was a huge commercial success, Insan Jaag Utha could only manage average profits.[34] Sujata also opened to critical acclaim and went on to win the National Film Award for Third Best Feature Film (Hindi).[35] From 1960 to 1962, he only delivered moderately successful films, such as Hum Hindustani in 1960, Chhaya in 1961 and Main Chup Rahungi in 1962.[36] The year 1963 brought him in the big league with superhits in Gumrah and Mujhe Jeene Do.[37] Apart from commercial success, both 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.[38] In 1964, he directed, produced and starred in Yaadein, an experimental film with him as the sole actor.[39] 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 in the category Fewest actors in a narrative film.[40][41]
Dutt reached his peak in the mid-1960s.[20] He began 1965 with Yash Chopra's ensemble masala film Waqt.[42] 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.[43] Today it is widely regarded as a cult classic.[44] His next release was A. Bhimsingh's family drama Khandan which also performed very well and emerged a superhit with Dutt receiving immense acclaim for his portrayal of a dedicated family man and winning his second and final Filmfare Award for Best Actor.[45] In 1966, he had a blockbuster in Raj Khosla's thriller film Mera Saaya and a flop in Lekh Tandon's historical drama Amrapali.[46][47] The soundtrack of Mera Saaya composed by Madan Mohan was highly successful and one of the best-selling Hindi film albums of the 1960s.[48] Its songs, such as "Jhumka Gira Re" sung by Asha Bhosle and "Mera Saaya Saath", a solo by Lata Mangeshkar remain popular till date.[49] 1967 proved to be the best year of Dutt's career with three major commercial successes.[20] He first starred in Adurthi Subba Rao's reincarnation drama Milan.[50] A remake Of Telugu hit Mooga Manasulu (1964), Milan proved to be an equally successful venture at the box office with its songs "Sawan Ka Mahina", "Bol Gori Bol Tera Kaun Piya" and "Ram Kare Aisa Ho Jaye" topping the musical chart that year.[51] 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).[51] His next release was Bhimsingh's drama film Mehrban which also had Ashok Kumar, Nutan, Mehmood, Sulochana Latkar and Shashikala in the lead.[52] Mehrban like Milan was also a commercially hit venture.[36] He concluded the year with B.R. Chopra's suspense thriller Hamraaz which received positive reviews from critics, eventually emerging a blockbuster and Dutt's third consecutive hit of the year.[53][54]
In 1968, he delivered another superhit in Jyoti Swaroop's musical comedy film Padosan.[55] Indiatimes ranked the film among the "Top 25 Must See Bollywood Films". Amit Upadhaya of ThePrint 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.[56] In a similar 50th anniversary article, Devansh Sharma of Firstpost 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.″[57]
The year 1969 saw the rise of superstar Rajesh Khanna, who stormed the nation with Aradhana and Do Raaste.[58] With his emergence, a number of stars saw a decline in their career graph and Dutt was one of them.[59] That year Dutt only saw moderate success with Raj Khosla's Chirag while the rest of his films didnt do well.[60] The series of failures continued from 1970 to 1972 with films, including Reshma Aur Shera (which he also directed), Zindagi Zindagi, Zameen Aasmaan and Jai Jwala.[6]
The year 1973 marked Dutt's return to the big league with Sultan Ahmed's dacoit drama Heera, which proved to be a massive hit.[61] The huge box office success of Heera was followed by superhits, Pran Jaye Per Vachan Na Jaye (1974) and Zakhmee (1975) alongwith two more successful films, Geeta Mera Naam (1974) and Umar Qaid (1975) thus solidifying his comeback.[62][63]
In 1976, Dutt had two releases - Rajkumar Kohli's horror film Nagin and Raj Khosla's action drama Nehle Pe Dehla.[64][65] The former which had an ensemble cast, including Reena Roy, Feroz Khan, Sanjay Khan, Rekha and Mumtaz went on to become a blockbuster at the box office.[66] On the other hand, Nehle Pe Dehla alongside Saira Banu and Vinod Khanna was also a major commercial success.[66] The following year, he delivered two more successes with Paapi and Aakhri Goli.[67]
In 1978, Dutt donned the director's hat for Daaku Aur Jawan, co-starring Vinod Khanna, Reena Roy and Leena Chandavarkar.[68] The film opened to positive response from critics and emerged a superhit at the box office.[69] He also appeared opposite Rekha and Saira Banu in Ram Kasam and Kaala Aadmi, respectively. While the former was a commercially successful venture, Kaala Aadmi failed to do well.[69] 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.[70] Dutt once again collaborated with Kohli for Muqabla, the same year.[71] The film backed up with chartbuster song "Govinda Govinda", a duet by Mohammed Rafi and Kishore Kumar went on to become a hit at the box office.[72][70] He concluded the year with another critical and commercial success in the action drama film Ahinsa.[70]
Shift to character roles, hiatus and final works (1980–2003)
Dutt began the new decade with a pivotal supporting role in Ramesh Sippy's mega-budget action crime drama Shaan (1980).[73] The film received positive reviews from critics and did well at the box-office, but ended up as an average fare due to its high costs.[74]
In 1981, he launched his son Sanjay Dutt's career with Rocky which was a hit.[75] Shortly before the film's release, Nargis died of pancreatic cancer. Dutt founded the Nargis Dutt Foundation in her memory for the care of cancer patients.[76] In 1982, he appeared alongside Dharmendra and Jeetendra in Rajkumar Kohli's action thriller Badle Ki Aag, which was a box office success.[77] The following year, he directed, produced and starred in the drama film Dard Ka Rishta, alongside Ashok Kumar, Reena Roy, Smita Patil and Khushbu Sundar.[78] Despite its heavy theme, Dard Ka Rishta did well commercially and proved to be a hit venture.[79] Dutt followed it with a minor setback as he had a string of critical and commercial failures from 1984 to 1985 with films, such as - Raaj Tilak, Laila, Yaadon Ki Zanjeer and Faasle.[80][81] This changed in 1986 with the acclaimed venture Kala Dhanda Goray Log and a hit in Watan Ke Rakhwale, the next year.[82][83]
After appearing in Dharamyudh (1988), he went on a brief hiatus and returned to big screen in 1991 with Yeh Aag Kab Bujhegi (which he also directed), Kurbaan and Pratigyabadh. While the lattermost was a commercial flop, Yeh Aag Kab Bujhegi proved to be a moderately successful venture and Kurbaan emerged a box office hit.[84]
Dutt returned to films once again in 2003 with Rajkumar Hirani's satirical comedy drama Munna Bhai M.B.B.S. which had his son in the lead.[85] Munna Bhai M.B.B.S. opened to highly positive reviews from critics and proved to be a commercially hit venture.[86] Today it is considered a classic and one of the best films ever made in the history of Indian cinema.[87][88] It was Sunil Dutt's last film; he died shortly after its release.[89]
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In 1982, he was appointed as the Sheriff of Bombay, an apolitical titular position bestowed on him by the Maharashtra government for a year.[90] In 1995, he won the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award for his contribution to the film industry for four decades.[91]
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) to establish communal harmony and brotherhood.[92][93][94] During the padyatra, he attended more than 500 roadside meetings and suffered a bout of jaundice.[95]
His political career was halted for some years in the early 1990s when he worked to free his son from jail after he was arrested for keeping an AK-56 that he claimed was for the protection of his family after bomb blasts in Bombay.[96]
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Dutt married actress Nargis, a Muslim, also of Punjabi Mohyal descent, on 11 March 1958. Prior to their marriage, Nargis converted to Hinduism and adopted the name Nirmala Dutt.[97][98] Reportedly, Dutt had saved her life from a fire on the sets of Mother India.[99] They had three children: Sanjay Dutt, Namrata Dutt, and Priya Dutt. Sanjay went on to become a successful film actor. Namrata married actor Kumar Gaurav, son of veteran actor Rajendra Kumar who had appeared alongside Nargis and Dutt in Mother India. Priya became a politician and a Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha).[99]
With his wife, 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, after the liberation war of Bangladesh in 1971.[100]
Dutt's wife Nargis died in 1981. One year after her death, the Nargis Dutt Memorial Cancer Foundation was established by Dutt in her memory.[101]
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Dutt died of a heart attack on 25 May 2005 at his residence in Bandra, West Mumbai, at age 75.[102] At the time of his death, he was the Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports in the Union Government led by Manmohan Singh and was the Member of Parliament from North-West Mumbai. He was cremated with full state honours at Santacruz Crematorium in Mumbai. He was succeeded as Minister by Mani Shankar Aiyar. His seat in the Parliament was contested by his daughter, Priya Dutt, who won it and was a Member of Parliament until May 2014.[103]
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- 1963 – Filmfare Award for Best Actor for Mujhe Jeene Do[104]
- 1964 – National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi for Yaadein[105]
- 1965 – Filmfare Award for Best Actor for Khandan[106]
- 1967 – BFJA Award for Best Actor (Hindi) for Milan[107]
- 1968 – Padma Shri[3]
- 1982 – Sheriff of Bombay
- 1995 – Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award
- 1998 – Rajiv Gandhi National Sadbhavana Award[108]
- 1999 – Screen Lifetime Achievement Award[109]
- 2000 – Anandalok Awards Lifetime Achievement Award
- 2001 – Zee Cine Award for Lifetime Achievement
- 2007 – Glory of India Award by IIFS, London.[110]
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Dutt is regarded as one of the greatest actors of Indian cinema.[111] He is known for his acting, mannerism and to dare to take up risky and non-commercial projects in his prime years, such as Mujhe Jeene Do, Yaadein and Reshma Aur Shera.[112] He was also noted as a serial talent-spotter, giving major breaks to then struggling actors Amitabh Bachchan, Vinod Khanna, Ranjeet and Shakti Kapoor in his home productions Reshma Aur Shera and Rocky respectively.[113][114] He was also inducted into the Bollywood Walk of Fame at Bandra Bandstand, where his autograph was preserved.[115]
One of the most successful actors of the 1960s and 1970s, Dutt appeared in Box Office India's "Top Actors" list two times in 1966 and 1967.[20]
In 2022, Dutt was placed in Outlook India's "75 Best Bollywood Actors" list.[116]
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- 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.[117][118][119] Also that year, Darlingji: The True Love Story of Nargis and Sunil Dutt was released by Kishwar Desai.[120][121]
- In 2018, Paresh Rawal played Dutt, in his son's biopic Sanju. The film is ranked as one of the highest grossing Indian films of 2018.[122]
| Film | Year | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Railway Platform | 1955 | Ram | |
| Kundan | Amrit | ||
| Ek-Hi-Raasta | 1956 | Amar | |
| Rajdhani | N/A | ||
| Kismet Ka Khel | Prakash Verma | ||
| Payal | 1957 | Mohan | |
| Mother India | Birju | ||
| Sadhna | 1958 | Professor Mohan | |
| Post Box 999 | Vikas | ||
| Sujata | 1959 | Adhir | |
| Insaan Jaag Utha | Ranjeet | ||
| Didi | Gopal | ||
| Usne Kaha Tha | 1960 | Nandu | |
| Hum Hindustani | Surendra Nath | ||
| Ek Phool Char Kaante | Sanjeev | ||
| Duniya Jhukti Hai | Mohan / Bankelal[a] | ||
| Chhaya | 1961 | Arun / Poet Rahi | |
| Main Chup Rahungi | 1962 | Kamal Kumar | |
| Jhoola | Dr. Arun | ||
| Gumraah | 1963 | Rajendra | |
| Aaj Aur Kal | Dr. Sanjay | ||
| Yeh Rastey Hain Pyar Ke | Anil Sahni | ||
| Nartakee | Professor Nirmal Kumar | ||
| Mujhe Jeene Do | Thakur Jarnail Singh | Filmfare Award for Best Actor | |
| Yaadein | 1964 | Anil | also director and producer |
| Gazal | Ejaaz | ||
| Beti Bete | Ramu / Krishna | ||
| Waqt | 1965 | Advocate Ravi Khanna (Bablu) | |
| Khandan | Govind Shankar Lal | Filmfare Award for Best Actor | |
| Mera Saaya | 1966 | Thakur Rakesh Singh | |
| Gaban | Ramnath | ||
| Amrapali | Magadh Samrat Ajatashatru | ||
| Maitighar | Sunil | Cameo | |
| Milan | 1967 | Gopinath (Gopi) | BFJA Award for Best Actor (Hindi) |
| Hamraaz | Kumar / S. N. Sinha | ||
| Mehrban | Kanhaiya | ||
| Padosan | 1968 | Bhola | |
| Sadhu Aur Shaitaan | Catholic Priest D'souza | Cameo | |
| Gauri | Sunil Kumar | ||
| Pyasi Sham | 1969 | Raja | |
| Meri Bhabhi | Raju | ||
| Jwala | Sunil | Cameo | |
| Chirag | Ajay Singh | ||
| Bhai Bahen | Surendra Pratap | ||
| Darpan | 1970 | Balraj Dutt | |
| Bhai-Bhai | Ashok / Manish[a] | ||
| Reshma Aur Shera | 1971 | Shera Singh | also director and producer |
| Jwala | Jwala | ||
| Zindagi Zindagi | 1972 | Dr. Sunil | |
| Zameen Aasmaan | Ravi | ||
| Jai Jwala | Major Anand | ||
| Man Jeete Jag Jeet | 1973 | Bagga Daaku / Baghel Singh | Punjabi film |
| Heera | Heera | ||
| Kora Badan | 1974 | Sunil | Cameo |
| Geeta Mera Naam | Suraj / Johnny | ||
| Pran Jaye Par Vachan Na Jaye | Raja Thakur | ||
| Dukh Bhanjan Tera Naam | Sadhu | Punjabi film; Cameo | |
| 36 Ghante | Himmat Singh | ||
| Zakhmee | 1975 | Anand | |
| Umar Qaid | Raja | ||
| Neelima | Sunil | Cameo | |
| Himalay Se Ooncha | Vijay | ||
| Akela | N/A | ||
| Nagin | 1976 | Vijay | |
| Nehle Pe Dehla | Sunil | ||
| Darinda | 1977 | Krishna / Yogidutt | |
| Ladki Jawan Ho Gayi | Sunil | ||
| Paapi | Raj Kumar | ||
| Gyaani Ji | Pilot Sardar Hari Singh | ||
| Charandas | Advocate Tondon | Cameo | |
| Aakhri Goli | Vikram | ||
| Sone Ki Lanka | 1978 | Satpal | |
| Ram Kasam | Bhola / Shankar[a] | ||
| Kaala Aadmi | Birju | ||
| Daaku Aur Jawan | Birju | also director and producer | |
| Muqabla | 1979 | Vikram (Vicky) | |
| Jaani Dushman | Laakhan | ||
| Ahinsa | Birju | ||
| Salaam Memsaab | Naresh Sarit | Cameo | |
| Lahu Pukarega | 1980 | Jitu | |
| Shaan | DSP Shiv Kumar | ||
| Yari Dushmani | Shambhu | ||
| Ganga Aur Suraj | Inspector Ganga | ||
| Ek Gunah Aur Sahi | Shankar Ramdas | ||
| Rocky | 1981 | Shankar | also director and producer |
| Meena Kumari Ki Amar Kahani | Himself | Documentary | |
| Badle Ki Aag | 1982 | Lakhan | |
| Dard Ka Rishta | Dr. Ravi Kant Sharma | also director and producer | |
| Film Hi Film | 1983 | Himself | Documentary |
| Raaj Tilak | 1984 | Jai Singh | |
| Laila | Dharamraj Singh / Thakur Prithviraj Singh[a] | ||
| Yaadon Ki Zanjeer | Ravi Kumar | ||
| Faasle | 1985 | Vikram | |
| Kala Dhanda Goray Log | 1986 | Gauri Shankar / Michael | |
| Mangal Dada | Mangal Dada | ||
| Watan Ke Rakhwale | 1987 | Jailor Suraj Prakash | |
| Raj Kapoor | Himself | Documentary | |
| Dharamyudh | 1988 | Thakur Vikram Singh | |
| Akarshan | Himself | Guest appearance | |
| Yeh Aag Kab Bujhegi | 1991 | Professor Kishna | also director and producer |
| Kurbaan | Prithvi Singh | ||
| Pratigyabadh | Pascal | ||
| Hai Meri Jaan | Telegram Wala | Cameo | |
| Virodhi | 1992 | Police Commissioner Jagdish Kapoor | |
| Kshatriya | 1993 | Maharaj Bhavani Singh | |
| Parampara | Thakur Bhavani Singh | ||
| Phool | Balram Choudhary | ||
| Munna Bhai M.B.B.S. | 2003 | Hari Prasad Sharma | |
| Om Shanti Om | 2007 | Magadh Samrat Ajatashatru | Recreated via CGI during the song "Dhoom Tana", (archive footage) |
- Mr. and Mrs. Dutt: Memories of our Parents, Namrata Dutt Kumar and Priya Dutt, 2007, Roli Books. ISBN 978-81-7436-455-5.[123]
- Darlingji: The True Love Story of Nargis and Sunil Dutt, Kishwar Desai. 2007, Harper Collins. ISBN 978-81-7223-697-7.
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