Sanjay Dutt on keeping a gun at his place: It destroyed my life

By Gurpreet Kaur

on July 21, 2018

Actor Sanjay Dutt is back to grabbing to headlines post the release of his biopic Sanju. Helmed by Rajkummar Hirani, the film features Ranbir Kapoor in the lead role and showcases the ups and downs of the actor's life. While the audience loved the film and Sanju has made its way to the 5th highest grossing film in India, critics panned the film for whitewashing his image.

Talking about it to a leading news channel, Sanjay said, "Who will invest Rs 50 crore for a whitewash job? I told everything to the filmmakers and they decided to use what they wanted," and revealed that the biopic was in fact his wife Maanyata's idea.

The film also showcased the actor's tryst with law and how the legal battle affected his life as he fought the terrorist label put on him. Sanjay was convicted under stringent TADA law after a gun was discovered from his house, days after the 1993 Mumbai blasts. Talking about it, Sanjay said that the gun "destroyed" his life and added, "I have paid a huge price for keeping a gun at my place."

"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," Sanjay further said.

Meanwhile, the audience felt that several episodes of his life were missing from the biopic, like his marriage to Richa Sharma and Rhea Pillai. Speaking about it, he clarified that the filmmakers selected the important parts and some characters were possibly left out due to the film's duration.

He further talked about his parents and said that his father Sunil Dutt was strict with him and wanted him to return to India post his rehab period, but it is her mother Nargis Dutt who has had a "profound impact" on his life.

Last but not the least, he shut down all rumours of a tiff between his sisters Namrata and Priya and wife Maanyat and said that "there is no difference".

Meanwhile, on the work front, Sanjay will next be seen in Sahib, Biwi aur Gangster 3.