Ranbir Kapoor and Vicky Kaushal in Sanju. Vicky's character is a mix of several of Dutt's buddies

Upcoming biopic on the Munnabhai actor's troubled life has Vicky Kaushal portraying the friends who form Dutt's core group
Shaheen Parkar (MID-DAY; June 3, 2018)

When actor Sanjay Dutt walked out of Pune's Central Jail on February 25, 2016, having served the last 42 months of his five-year imprisonment - following his conviction in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case - among the many who made it a point to be there that day was Paresh Ghelani, a US-based entrepreneur, and one of Dutt's closest friends. Ghelani had flown down especially to spend time with the actor.

It was a Thursday, but that week the partying began early on for Dutt at his brother-in-law Kumar Gaurav's home. On the way back from the party, Dutt insisted that Paria (his nickname for Ghelani), sit on his lap. This wasn't because of a lack of space in the vehicle, but it was Dutt's way of showing the warm camaraderie he shared with his pal and also for making up for lost time while the actor was behind bars.


Sanjay Dutt with Paresh Ghelani, who he calls Paria

Dutt, 58, is known to be fiercely protective of his close buddies. They have stood by him during his worst times. He always says his heart rules his head, and it is his friends who strike a note of caution in him. When the trailer of one of the most awaited films of the year, Sanju (in which actor Ranbir Kapoor portrays Dutt) released on May 30, 2018, aside from the general curiosity around Dutt's rather controversial life, what got most viewers intrigued was the quiz the 3.04-minute trailer threw up: Who is playing whom. And, which friend does the endearing character of Vicky Kaushal represent.

At the trailer launch, the film's director Rajkumar Hirani - who first worked with Dutt in the 2003 runaway hit Munnabhai MBBS - says that while making a biopic, it becomes difficult to show each and every person from the life on whom the film is based. "You have to merge some characters. In Sanju, instead of showing all his friends, we have shown one character, who is a mix of his buddies."

Apart from Ghelani, those who are part of Dutt's core group include Ajay (Bittu) Arora, Raj Bansal (film distributor), Ajay Marwah and Pradeep Sinha - traces of whom have all been rolled into Kaushal's character. Marwah is a Bandra resident whose family has a theatre business. The two met almost three decades ago when they started working out at the same gym. He says, "Hirani met me three years ago, while scripting Sanju. It's a film, so there will be cinematic liberties. I liked the teaser, I am looking forward to seeing Sanju. It will be surreal to watch a life you have been a part of on the big screen." Sinha, a Versova resident who runs a textile machinery import business, adds, "Ranbir's looks and mannerisms are near original. It is just like Sanju's."

Sinha then talks about his role in Dutt's wedding to Manyata. The wedding happened in 2008 at Sinha's Versova home at Badrinath Towers - a hush-hush event that took the industry by surprise. "It was tough keeping it a secret. Imagine planning a wedding at your home but not telling anyone who the groom and bride is," recalls Sinha. Sinha adds that Dutt is not shy about talking about his time in jail and experience with cops. "Once during a holiday to Thailand, he kept relating his ordeal. He told my wife Sanjita 'you should record and make notes of whatever I am saying and put them in a book'," he adds. Incidentally, actor Anushka Sharma who plays a biographer in the film to whom Kapoor (as Dutt) tells his story, stays in the same high-rise where Dutt married Manyata. Adds Sinha, "This is a strange coincidence. Another connect with the film."


Dutt, Raj Bansal and Rajkumar Hirani

Bansal is a film distributor based in Jaipur. He first met him when Dutt was shooting for Naam (1986) in Rajasthan. He had made arrangements for the actor's hotel stay. They bonded over their sense of humour. Dutt refers to him as Thakur and would write letters to him from jail, which remain his prized possessions. Bansal says, "I went numb after watching the trailer. I have known Sanjay for over 30 years." Last year, to celebrate his birthday, Dutt had flown to Serengeti National Park in Tanzania. Ghelani had flown in from the US to give him company. Recently, Arora evinced interest in turning director and making a comic caper, Dutt gave his nod immediately. Friends have stood by for him and the actor for them. Now they are looking forward to see his life unspool on the big screen and find a bit of them in it.


Maria on screen
If you're wondering who the cop on screen is, it's former Mumbai top cop Rakesh Maria. Maria, incidentally a close friend of the film's producer Vidhu Vinod Chopra, was in charge of the probe in the 1993 serial blasts case and was deputy commissioner of police. His team arrested Dutt from the airport after he returned from Mauritius.

An officer in the probe team who is currently posted with Mumbai police said Dutt's name cropped up in the case after two people Sameer Hingora and Hanif Kadawala named him and told the police that they had supplied weapons to the actor. The official recalled that Dutt was picked up by Maria's team from the airport.

"Initially he kept telling the police that he (Dutt) was not involved in the case," he added. However, as shown in the movie, Maria caught the actor by his hair and one tight slap was enough for Dutt to admit his part. It was Maria's team that investigated the case and then put up a chargesheet against the actor.
— Rahul Mahajani


Manyata Dutt with Ajay (Bittu) Arora


Manyata and Dutt tied the knot at Pradeep Sinha's (extreme right) Versova home


Dutt with Raj Bansal


Ajay Marwah and Sanjay Dutt

For a man who sometimes appears lost, Sanjay Dutt is remarkably self-aware about how to succeed with the ladies: Let them mother you
Yasser Usman (MUMBAI MIRROR; March 18, 2018)

It was 1985 when Sanjay Dutt first met his future wife Richa Sharma, a desi girl who had been brought up in New York and ‘discovered’ by Dev Anand. Richa had moved to Mumbai to act in Bollywood films just the year before. “I met Richa for the first time at the muhurat of one of my films at Hotel Sea Rock,” Dutt remembers. “She was wearing jeans and a multi-coloured top. I inquired as to who she was. A few days later, I called her and asked her to go out with me.” He was hooked. “I soon realised that Richa was different from the girls I had known before,” Dutt adds. “She was not calculating, manipulative or chasing after money. She was a simple girl, a fantastic person to trust. I could no longer live without her.”

Sharma was not the only woman in Sanjay’s life. But if there was something common to all of them, it was this: They were all strong, independent women who offered his roller-coater life some sort of stability. And Dutt leaned on them. In fact, whether it was his mother Nargis, whose loss Sanjay took very hard, or various co-stars through the years, from Tina Munim to Madhuri Dixit, one could say that the women took care of him, rather than the other way around.

Indeed, there are even some women whom Dutt had flings with and somehow managed to keep those affairs out of the media. He was clearly aware of his vulnerable, lost-boy charm. Once, when asked how to impress a woman, Sanjay told his audience: “If you like a woman, make her feel like your mother … become a little boy. [If you] let her feel protective about you, you are scoring, buddy!”

Sanjay’s life, after he burst onto the Bollywood stage with his debut in Rocky, has had tremendous ups and downs. By 26, he had already lost his mother, been to rehab for substance abuse, and staged a successful comeback to films after his recovery. His love life, too, was far from settled; in the years after his rehab, there had been a Filipina flight attendant named Sha and actress Kimi Katkar of Tarzan fame in his life. In contrast, a life with Richa promised him stability, and by October 1987, they were married. Richa gave up her career in films, as Sanjay’s mother Nargis had, for the sake of his father Sunil, three decades before, and kept a comfortable home for Dutt.

But the happy story unraveled dramatically after that. A little over a year after they were married, Richa was diagnosed with cancer and was taken to the US for treatment. Sanjay returned to India, reportedly due to his film commitments, while Richa and their baby daughter Trishala stayed on in New York with her parents.

Once back in India, rumours of Sanjay’s hard-partying ways and affairs started doing the rounds. Reports of his closeness with actresses Amrita Singh, Ekta and Anu Aggarwal were widespread, and he was portrayed as a Casanova by the media.

Cancer or no cancer, the truth was that Sanjay was used to the women in his life taking care of him. It all began with his doting mother, Nargis. She pampered him endlessly as did the other women of the Dutt household — Sanjay’s sisters, and his Nani. Sanjay became so spoilt that he ultimately had to be sent away to boarding school to inculcate some discipline in him. But for his protective mother, Sanjay always came first.

Even when she was on her deathbed, it was Sanjay’s well being and his terrible addiction to drugs, that was uppermost on her mind. “She was being eaten up inside. ‘Zaheeda, woh drugs peeta hai [Zaheeda, he takes drugs]’ she would tell me,” said Nargis’ niece about her beloved aunt’s final days.

After Nargis died in 1981, Sanjay’s then-girlfriend Tina Munim, stepped in and tried to help him through his addiction, even going to Germany with him for therapy. After they broke up, Sanjay went to the US for treatment on his own. Here, too, he charmed and befriended some of the women in his de-addiction group and persuaded them to help him out with his chores. He recalled, “All my life I’ve always been dependent on someone. First it was my mother, then my girlfriends, then my sisters … I did not know how to survive without leaning against someone.” And so when Richa wasn’t around to lean on, Sanjay sought support elsewhere. Allegedly he would find comfort in Madhuri Dixit’s friendship. As one magazine cover story from 1993 put it, ‘Sanjay’s desperate need for an emotional anchor took him into the arms of the Ek Do Teen actress’.



When Madhuri reportedly cut off all contact with Sanjay after he was embroiled in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case, Dutt was once again at sea. According to a story in Stardust entitled ‘Madhuri Dumps Sanjay’, she refused to take his calls and told his sister, “Please tell Sanju not to call me up ever. Tell him that it’s all over”. Richa, then still married to Dutt, summed it up quite accurately when she said: “At every point in his life, he needs someone he can lean on emotionally. Like he was dependent on Madhuri. Now that she has ditched him, he is going to be a shattered man.”

And so the pattern continued. Next, it was Rhea Pillai — who would eventually marry Sanjay and become his second wife — who picked up the pieces. (They met at his lawyer, Mahesh Jethmalani’s office, while Sanjay was out on bail.) Today, Dutt is married to his third wife Manyata, and perhaps his search for an emotional anchor is finally over. Manyata understood that the secret to Sanjay’s heart was to mother him and take care of him. According to a report in Mumbai Mirror, every time Nadia [Durrani, Sanjay’s then-girlfriend] was out of town, Manyata would stay over. She implemented the adage that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, and took over his kitchen. Sanjay didn’t know what to do: On the one hand he had Nadia, who used to take his credit card and go shopping, and on the other he had Manyata, who never even asked him if he had a credit card, but was, in fact, busy feeding him his favourite cuisine.

Needless to say, Manyata won. Today, she reportedly takes care of every aspect of Sanjay’s life — from his diet to the interior design of their home; from his clothes to vetting his friends and managing his career and his finances. Throughout his association with the many women in his life, Sanjay has been brutally honest, consistent and remarkably self-aware about his role in the relationships. “If you just want to call me a chauvi [chauvinist], I’m just one,” he says. That’s Dutt for you.

YASSER USMAN IS THE AUTHOR OF SANJAY DUTT: THE CRAZY, UNTOLD STORY OF BOLLYWOOD’S BAD BOY, PUBLISHED BY JUGGERNAUT BOOKS

Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; October 20, 2017)

Sanjay Dutt rushed back from a film screening to personally oversee the arrangements of his Diwali bash which started around 10 pm with the actor in perfect host mode in pristine white pathaani, his suede shoes matching the steel grey of his jacket. His son, Shahraan, looked like a mini version of papa while his twin, Iqra, looked as picture perfect as mamma Maanayata, who had chosen beige and gold as her colours for the evening, in her royal purple lehenga.

Jacqueline Fernandez’s autumnal mood was apparent in her red, yellow and purple ensemble while Sussanne Khan was a breath of spring in a lime green sari with ruffles. Anil was an East-meets-West fusion in kurta-jacket and jeansboots, going off on a stroll down memory lane with Sanju as they discussed cinema, then and now.

Sonali Bendre and Shilpa Shetty upped the glam quotient among Manyata’s non-filmi guests, who enjoyed the taash games and Bollywood hits that played in the background, some of them Sanju’s own. His favourite filmmakers, Rajkumar Hirani, Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Siddharth Roy Kapur, were there too, along with his Khan buddies, Aamir and Salman. Sallu left within 10 minutes, wanting to stop by at Baba Dewan’s Diwali bash too. Raju, Vinod and Aamir were the last to leave after getting jaadu ki jhappis from their happy Munnabhai.

Natasha Coutinho (MUMBAI MIRROR; October 18, 2017)

Sanjay and Manyata Dutt, who had been travelling for work, made it home just in time to prep for Diwali celebrations at their Bandra residence. While the actor was busy shooting for the first schedule of his upcoming film, Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster 3, in Rajasthan, wife Manyata was away on her own work commitments.

Top of their festive to-do list is the house party on Wednesday, followed by Lakshmi Pooja on Thursday. Some of the guests set to join the Dutts include Salman Khan, Aamir Khan, Shah Rukh Khan, Rajkumar Hirani, Sonakshi Sinha, Jacqueline Fernandez, Arjun Kapoor, Shilpa Shetty, Katrina Kaif, Vidya Balan and Nishikant Kamath, among others.

According to a source, there will be card games and a European menu with traditional Diwali sweets. “The party will start at 9.30 pm. The house is being done up with lights and floral garlands,” adds the source.

Madhureeta Mukherjee (BOMBAY TIMES; September 17, 2017)

Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; September 12, 2017)

Sanjay Dutt might be clocking in 12 hours a day owing to the promotions of his upcoming film, Bhoomi. But it’s family first for the actor — a promise that stands all the more true when it comes to his father, late Sunil Dutt. We hear, the actor has requested the producers of Bhoomi to allow him a day off to perform shradh for his father. On September 13, Dutt, his wife Manyata, along with their children Iqra and Shahraan, will be heading to Assi Ghat in Banaras to perform a special puja.

While Dutt understood that the promotional activities are at their peak, given that the film is barely 10 days away from release, he did not want to miss out on the period of Pitra Paksha. His sisters, Namrata and Priya, are also said to be accompanying him to the holy city.

A source from the production house informs, “Baba has been going the extra mile in ensuring that the film is well-promoted. The producers were more than happy to accommodate his request, especially since it was of sentimental value to Baba.”

When mid-day reached out to producer Bhushan Kumar, he confirmed the development, saying, “This is an important time for Dutt saab. He felt he must perform this puja as his tribute to Sunil Dutt ji.”

The film’s team including Aditi Rao Hydari, director Omung Kumar and producers Kumar and Sandeep Singh will also travel with Dutt. Singh says, “For Baba, it is an emotional time and he wants to remember his father in a special way.”

Dutt’s fondness for his father is well-known. It was said that he had expressed his wish to play the role of his father in the Rajkumar Hirani-directed biopic.

Dutt remained unavailable for comment.

Akshay, Sanjay, Shraddha, Karisma and the Bachchans have traded the oppressive Mumbai heat for cooler climes of Spain, Italy, France and the US
Nishi Tiwari (MUMBAI MIRROR; June 24, 2017)

Sun-bathing in St Tropez
On Thursday, Sanjay Dutt, who had been busy with the look test for Tigmanshu Dhulia’s Saheb, Biwi Aur Gangster 3, joined wife Manyata and kids, Shahraan and Iqra, in St Tropez. The trio had arrived at the tourist hotspot of the crème de la crème, 100 km away from Nice, a day earlier. The family holiday had been planned over a month ago. Mrs Dutt had kikced it off with the twins on June 5 in Italy. More recently, stepping out of an infinity pool, a swimsuit-clad Manyata exclaimed, “Water....always makes me feel so alive.” A day earlier, she had marked her reunion with her actor-husband by reflecting, “The secret of having it all is knowing that you already do.”


When in France…
It was refreshing to see Karisma Kapoor, who is known to favour monochromes and conservative silhouettes even while on holiday, making the most of the French seaside in a black twopiece number that she paired with oversized sunnies and a straw hat. The actress is currently on a European break. France was preceded by a brief stay in London with friend Anu Dewan. Back home, we hear her beau Sandeep Toshniwal’s divorce from first wife Ashrita is likely to come through on July 19. Guess someone is coming back home to some good news? We’ll keep our fingers crossed.


Setting the bar high in Barcelona
After some long overdue one-on-one time with son Aarav in Florida, where the duo indulged in water sports like snorkeling, Akshay Kumar followed his family to London to usher in mother-in-law Dimple Kapadia’s 60th birthday. Now, he is sizing up Barcelona’s social life with Mrs Funnybones, his actress-turned-author wife Twinkle. She recently gave us a peek into a soiree with another couple, remarking, “I have a feeling that for the next few years a lot of our stories are going to start with ‘One day in Spain...’ #hairraisers #barcelona.”


A New York state of mind
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan followed her annual stint in the French Riviera with a low-key, two-week getaway in the Big Apple with actor-husband Abhishek and their five-year-old daughter, Aaradhya. On Thursday, Abhishek shared a delightful pic of his girls on swings in a park and called it, “Happiness.” After the break, Ash is set to start work on the Anil Kapoor-starrer Fanney Khan. The husband has just signed up for mentor JP Dutta’s Paltan.


Soaking up the Tuscan sun
Shraddha Kapoor honoured her promise of a getaway with Delhibased bestie Eshanka Wahi by whisking off the newlywed to Italy. The twosome has been soaking up the Tuscan sun in rustic alleys, and enjoying a horse-riding session with “Italian stallions”. Mirror had earlier reported (June 19), that the actress, who had kicked off her training for Amole Gupte’s Saina Nehwal biopic before taking off to the European country, took her badminton racket along so she could continue with her practise in between all the sight-seeing.

Natasha Coutinho (MUMBAI MIRROR; June 6, 2017)

After Ajay Devgn and Akshay Kumar, it’s holiday time for Sanjay Dutt, his wife Manyata, and their kids, Shahraan and Iqra. While the twins are already in Italy with mum, dad Sanjay will join them next week. The foursome will be travelling through Europe for two weeks, as the kids have vacation at school and the family wants to make the most of their time together.

A source close to the family told Mirror, “Manyata and the kids left for Italy on Monday morning with some of the twins’ friends from school and their moms. Sanjay has been busy with look tests for Tigamanshu Dhulia’s Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster 3, for which he begins the shoot soon and had to postpone his holiday by a week. The family is particularly excited about visiting Paris, where Sanjay is scheduled to join them, and had been planning this holiday for a while now.”

Dutt, who returns to the Bay around the month-end, will kick off promotions for his comeback film, Omung Kumar’s Bhoomi, with onscreen daughter Aditi Rao Hydari, and will start shooting for Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster 3, after which the romantic thriller Malang goes on the floors as does Girish Malik’s Torbaaz, in which the 57-year-old actor plays an army officer.

Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; May 18, 2017)

Sanjay Dutt who wrapped up his comeback film, Omung Kumar’s Bhoomi, last month has now taken off to Dubai for a mini-honeymoon with wife Manyata Dutt.

Dubai is his wife’s favourite getaway. Manyata used to live there before she moved to Mumbai to pursue a career in Bollywood and still jets off at least twice a month for work. While the kids, Shahraan and Iqra, are in school, Mr and Mrs Dutt are in the largest United Arab Emirates city alone. On Tuesday, they were spotted at the exotic Mediterranean-style piano bar run by Michelin-star chef Alexander Brouwer. The sumptuous meal was followed by a shopping spree in Bur Dubai’s jewellery and vintage goods market.

The duo had checked straight into a luxurious desert retreat and spa for a week-long break upon arrival.

Previously, the Dutts had brought in New Year’s Eve in Dubai with the twins in tow.

Sanjay Dutt on his pillar of strength, a renewed innings at the movies, his first production that takes off in December
Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; April 20, 2017)


On a hot summer afternoon Sanjay Dutt is back on trial. But this time it’s not for real. He’s on a set resembling a courtroom, shooting for Omung Kumar’s Bhoomi. His character’s plea is scoffed at by the public prosecutor who stumbles over a line, and then a word. There are a couple of quick retakes before lunch is announced. With a sigh of relief co-star Shekhar Suman makes a dash for his air-conditioned vanity van, shuddering as he remembers the days when actors were confined to stuffy make-up rooms and near-stationary fans. The rest of the team heads for the buffet. Only Sanjay chooses to stay back on the studio floor, diligently rehearsing his lines. He has a five-page, high-drama monologue coming up which the director wants to can in one take. The actor is in prep mode, happy to be back in action.

“I missed the film industry during my years in jail. Even when I was out, with the case still on, I wasn’t really free. Freedom is something we often take for granted till we lose it,” he philosophies, admitting that now, finally, all the tension is gone and there’s a sense of peace for which he gives credit to wife Manyata who’s played a very important part in his life in every aspect. “She’s a wife, a friend and a mother, someone who has her head on her shoulders and the right values. After my parents, she’s been my pillar of strength, given me a home and beautiful kids. I’m lucky to be married to her, she is a wonderful wife,” he says, his light brown eyes brimming with emotion.

One recalls how years ago, during an interview, Sanjay had cried while talking about his mother Nargis, whom he lost to cancer. He must miss his mother and the special bond they shared? “It’s not just about me and her, every son has a special connect with his mother. Today, when I see Manyata and Shahraan, who is the apple of her eye, I’m reminded of Nargis and Sanjay,” he smiles mistily, admitting that recently he saw some pictures of Manisha Koirala who is playing Nargis in his biopic, they left him amazed. “She looks so beautiful and since she’s a great performer I know she will excel in her role.”

He’s happy that his Munna Bhai director, Rajkumar Hirani, who will be directing him in the third instalment of their hit franchise which should roll in 2018, is telling his life story on screen. “He’s the best person to tell it. There’s nothing praise-worthy about my life, Raju will tell the story the way it is and not badha chadha ke. It’s basically the story of a father and son, that’s Dutt saab (Sunil Dutt) and me,” he asserts.

He admits he misses his father a lot too. “Dutt saab was a different man. Maybe when I was my kids’ age, he was with me the way I am with them. I can’t fire them; he was strict but had his own ways of showing his love. I miss him as an anchor and a pillar of strength. I miss that my children have missed out on his love. He would have been so happy spending time with them. Ditto my mother,” he reflects.

This Sanjay is far removed from his daredevil avatar or his endearing Munna Bhai image. He looks older, somewhat greyer and ‘common’. His comeback film, Bhoomi, is the journey of a single father and his daughter. He acknowledges that it was the emotional connect with the subject and that it’s an aam aadmi ki kahani that made him give his nod to the project. “Even though I’d missed working, I waited a year for the right films. I wanted to do work suited to my age,” he reasons. So, have we lost the daredevil Dutt to time? “Kevin Costner, Clint Eastwood and Mel Gibson are still daredevils but they don’t fight their age. You have to move on. I can’t be doing item numbers with Alia (Bhatt) today, that would be foolish,” he smiles.

Talking about Alia, there’s been talk of a Sadak sequel. Recently, he was spotted at the Vishesh Films office with Mahesh, Mukesh and Pooja Bhatt. What’s brewing? “Nothing, I just hopped across to meet Bhatt saab and everybody was there. Sadak was a fantastic film… A beautiful love story, Sadashiv’s (Amrapurkar) Maharani, Poojia, so young and lovely, the extreme conditions in which we shot and Mahesh Bhatt as the director. If he were to offer me a Sadak sequel, I’d jump at the opportunity. Bhatt saab is a genius, I keep hoping that some day he’ll return to direction but now even I can’t make him change his mind,” he sighs.

There’s also talk of a collaboration with Subhash Ghai, taking Khalnayak and another iconic character Ballu Balaram forward. Sanjay says that while Ghai was keen on the film they haven’t had any talks since. “I don’t know what’s in his mind. For me to do the film, there has to be a story, right?” he asks. He’s equally clueless about Siddharth Anand’s actioner or Rohit Jugraj Chauhan’s period action-comedy. As for Marco Bhau, he’s heard that the project has been put on hold and Shelly Chopra is now working with brother Vidhu Vinod Chopra on something else.

However, Girish Malik’s Torbaaz, a story about child suicide bombers in Afghanistan is on track though he won’t shoot in the country. Sanjay reportedly plays an army officer. “It’s not about me but the kids and what they like. They like cricket so he builds a cricket team with them. It is a credible premise because Afghanistan has a cricket team, it’s a great story,” Sanjay reasons. And what’s happening with his production company? He admits that during his years in jail the company took a backseat. “But we are slowly getting back on track and will kick off our first production in December. It’s a South remake and I will be acting in it. There are a couple of other films in the pipeline too. The company is Manyata’s baby,” says the proud husband, who right now, besides his film shoot, is completely focussed on his children since their mother is away. “As soon as I wake up, I think about what to give them for breakfast and in their tiffin for lunch since their mom is out of town,” he says.

He goes on to inform that his wife is a talented businesswoman. “She’s very creative, kuch kuch karti rehti hai,” he smiles.

Seems she has offers to do the interiors for an office and a hotel in Dubai? “Yes, there are offers to design interiors. Manyata has the ability to make a space a home and people like that. She’s making more money than me,” he signs off with a smile and returns to his dialogue sheet.

MUMBAI MIRROR (January 23, 2017)

MUMBAI MIRROR (January 21, 2017)

Nine years after she was seen in Sanjay Gupta’s Acid Factory and eleven years after she tied the knot with powerhouse performer Manoj Bajpayee, Neha (previously known as Shabana Raza) is reported to be seriously considering to make an acting comeback.

Speculation is rife that the 41-year-old actress, who has maintained a low profile since her 2006 nuptials, may end her sabbatical with Rajkumar Hirani’s Ranbir Kapoor-starrer Sanjay Dutt biopic, which is currently being filmed in Mumbai. Neha is said to be playing the 57-year-old actor’s wife, Manyata.

A Vidhu Vinod Chopra discovery, Neha had made her big screen debut opposite Bobby Deol in Kareeb (1998).

While RK plays the titular character, Anushka Sharma, who last paired up with him in Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, will be seen in the role of a journalist. His Saawariya costar Sonam Kapoor is on-board to play a love interest from Dutt’s younger days. Paresh Rawal will be seen as Dutt patriarch Sunil, even as sources inform that hunt is currently on for an actress to play Nargis.

Neha remained unavailable for comment till the time of the story going to press.

Natasha Coutinho (MUMBAI MIRROR; January 9, 2017)

Sanjay has always said Manaayata is his pillar of strength. After he finished his prison sentence early this year, he passionately spoke about his wife’s love and support through the turbulent time
Chaya Unnikrishnan (DNA; November 13, 2016)

Sanjay Dutt recently appeared on Yaaron Ki Baraat with his pals Ajay Devgn and Abhishek Bachchan. Now, Dutt is gearing up to make an appearance on Karan Johar’s show and for the first time, reveal sources, he will be accompanied by his wife Manyata. The actor has been on Karan’s couch thrice — once with Sushmita Sen, another time with Anil Kapoor and Kangana Ranaut and the third time with his sister Priya Dutt. “After Akshay Kumar and Twinkle Khanna appeared together on his show, Karan convinced Manaayata and Sanjay to come together. Since the time Sanjay came out of jail, Manyata has been seen by his side at a couple of media events, but she has never appeared on a TV show.”

Sanjay has always said Manyata is his pillar of strength. After he finished his prison sentence early this year, he passionately spoke about his wife’s love and support through the turbulent time. It will be interesting to see the two talking about their life together and with the inimitable Karan as the host, it should be a fun ride.

Sanjay Dutt, after serving out his sentence, is raring to get back into action with half-a-dozen films, including one penned by two convicts which he will produce
Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; August 31, 2016)


Nattily dressed in a white shirt and blue jeans, Sanjay Dutt looks fighting fit and relaxed as he settles down to his first interview since stepping out of Yerwada jail on February 25. It's been six months since, and he's savouring his time with the family. Wife Manyata helped him stay connected when away through letters and would drive down to Pune once a month to meet him, not missing a mulaqat even when she was unwell because that would have meant waiting till the next month. "I don't know if I'd have done as much. She's made me realise how important a wife is. She's given me a home, two beautiful children, stayed strong and helped me stay strong," he tears up.

Sanjay however refused to let his kids, Iqra and Shahraan, visit him, not wanting them to have any memories of their papa in prison. But once they're older, Manyata and he have decided to tell them about it before anyone else does.

"For now they are happy to have me back, papa se darr nahin lagta, he's not a disciplinarian. He only wants them to grow up to be good human beings," he says.

There was a time when the 57-year-old actor had shied away from interviews. Today he speaks candidly about his life before industrialists, executives and young entrepreneurs, admitting that after the anger, resentment and sadness over his sentencing had faded, he decided to find some positives to make the jail term bearable. "I read the Bhagavad Gita, the Ramayana and the Puranas, used buckets and clothes lines to work out, learnt Marathi and how to make paper bags. I also worked at the radio station and in the natak mandali in jail where I taught 60-70 convicts serving out life sentences to mouth dialogues, sing, dance and express themselves through skits," he reveals.

After six months they hosted a cultural function to which Rajkumar Hirani and the jail authorities were invited. When the latter applauded, the prisoners turned emotional, swore to reform and work hard after release, says Sanjay, pointing out most of them are not hardened criminals but committed a crime in the heat of the moment or were driven by circumstances. "I made a mistake too. I should have been more responsible, but I was young then. I paid for it and now, finally, it's behind me," he says with relief, admitting that if he could turn the clock back, he'd have listened to his parents and after being arrested, studied up on the law.

"Every citizen should know the law because once you are in jail, no amount of money can buy you back your freedom. In 1993, when I went to M N Singh (then Joint Commissioner of Police, Crime), he decided my case fell under the provisions of TADA. Had I known then what TADA meant, I'd have questioned it," he rues, happy that the Supreme Court eventually acquitted him of the terror charges in the '93 Mumbai blasts. "I was convicted under the Arms Act for possession of a rifle which was never found nor used to threaten anyone. Still it's a big relief that I'm not branded a terrorist and an anti-national thanks to the SC's judgement. My father (Sunil Dutt) who had passed away by then, would have been happy."

He remembers his father as a Gandhian, a man of honour and respect, the strongest person he's known. "In weak moments, I'd recall my parents teaching me to love the country and all religions," he says, pointing out that though his mother, Nargis Dutt, was buried in the same cemetery as her mother, Jaddan Bai, her last rites were conducted by a pandit, a maulana, a Christian priest and a Buddhist monk. "Today, after coming out of jail, I realise people respect me because I didn't run away. I served my sentence like a man and came out like a man, with dignity."

There were reports of him getting special privileges, including frequent furloughs which were sometimes extended, and he argues that according to the law, every prisoner is entitled to furlough and parole after a certain period. "I'd served out 18 months of the sentence earlier so I was entitled to furlough six months into my term this time. Every day hundreds of prisoners come out on parole and hundreds go back in, no one talks about them. Stardom is a doubleedged sword. Anyway, I faced it all and finished it off," he reflects.

Sanjay's returned home with a script he penned with two of inmates, Zeeshan and Dr Sameer whom he met at the radio station and discovered they had a flair for writing. He tossed them an idea and encouraged them to turn it into a movie script. Initially apprehensive, they eventually came up with a light-hearted take on the jail with the message of reformation. "I've given it to Sajid-Farhad to polish, it's likely that the duo will direct the film for me. Once the script is locked, we'll pitch it to a couple of actors, we need someone younger," says the actor-producer.

Meanwhile, his story may find its way into a book. It has also spawned a biopic with Ranbir Kapoor playing him. The day he stepped out of jail, Raju Hirani took the first shot. "I was in a daze. I don't know what we shot, I don't even know if I'm in the film," Sanjay confides, refuting rumours that the film has been delayed because he wants the script tweaked. "I'm told they'll start in December. The dates are sorted but Raju is still writing. He has 900 hours of recorded conversations with me from which he has to cull out a two-and-a-half-hour film. He doesn't want me to hear it till the first draft is ready. He should give me a narration in 15-20 days."

The script that did not measure up was Siddharth Anand's action film. Buzz is, Shelly Chopra's Marco Bhau script has also fallen short but Sanjay insists that this film which was to roll in November has been delayed by a month because producer Vidhu Vinod Chopra wants the music to be ready first. "It'll be the first film I shoot for, a decision taken by Vinodji and me when I was out on furlough. It's a feel-good film about a father-daughter relationship, the right one to start this innings with," he asserts, adding that around the time he will also start the Hindi remake of Mahesh Manjrekar's Marathi film De Dhakka.

Also on the cards is Khalnayak Returns which he will be co-producing with Subhash Ghai and which will revolve around Ballu Balaram, his iconic character. "Once the script is ready, we'll decide on the director," he says. Sanjay Leela Bhansali had wanted the rights to Khal Nayak, will they approach him? "He's busy with Padmavati, besides he's too big a director!"

There's also an action-adventure, Kafala, Dance Gangs "for which I have to sit with Remo D'Souza" and Bhumi, an emotional family drama. What about Dhamaal 3? Sanjay reveals that Indra Kumar did meet him for another instalment of the hit franchise but they couldn't agree on the economics and it's on hold. However, Munna Bhai 3 should start after the biopic.

Sanjay wants to only do a few films that matter and as a producer invest in entertaining commercial cinema made in the right budget, with the right script. "I want to do the kind of roles Denzel Washington, Mel Gibson and Kevin Costner play if I get such scripts. I'm at that age now," muses the actor who's raring to get back to work. He got a preview of sorts when he shot for a vest ad.

"It was amazing being back on the sets again, in front of the camera and the lights. Some veteran fighters and junior artistes came to Madh Island to meet me, making it special," he smiles, saying that from October he'll focus on his workouts and will be in perfect shape when he starts shooting.

Before that during his kids' Diwali break he's planning a family vacation. "I can't go to certain countries like UK and the US and Europe may be too cold then so it could be the Maldives," he says. Didn't he leave the IIFA Awards prematurely to romp with his wife and kids in Ibiza? "My family went to Barcelona before coming to Madrid. I was too ill to travel and spent the next two days in bed. I wouldn't have gone to Spain had I not made a commitment. Even Raju had a terrible flu," he sighs.

Along with the twins he's also very close to his firstborn, Trishala, and is all praise for her grandparents and aunt who have brought her up amazingly well. "I don't know if I could have raised her as well. They gave her the best education. She's graduated in forensic science and now is into fashion. I'm proud of her," he beams. Any plans of getting into films? "No, woh keeda dimag se nikal gaya hai," he laughs, adding that they wrote to each other regularly when he was in jail and now speak every second day.

Talking about bonding, he admits that there was a lot of that in the industry earlier. "Now the set-up is more professional," laments Sanjay who's close to Sajid Nadiadwala but if rumours are to be believed, is at war with Salman Khan.

"What jhagda? I went to his Ganpati celebrations when I was out on furlough and no one wrote about it. But he didn't visit me after I returned and that was news. He's a busy actor, he was shooting far away, he can't be sitting at my house 24x7 but he's still my younger brother," Sanjay asserts.

He's also mended bridges with former bestie Sanjay Gupta who, he says, is one of our best technicians who's made path-breaking movies like Kaante. "Bhaiyon mein jhagda hota hai and the world takes advantage of that. But jab bhai mil jaate hain, no one talks about it," he grouses, saying he is waiting for Gupta to come to him with a great script.

And will he get back into politics? The query raises a laugh, "The good point of being convicted is that you can't contest for three years." And after that? "No," he says shortly. "I may campaign for Priya Dutt because she's my sister even if I don't support her party. My sisters and I share a special bond."

The actor who had brought in his birthday in prison for the last three years, made it an occasion to remember this year with his wife, children, sisters and the media
Natasha Coutinho (MUMBAI MIRROR; July 30, 2016)

Sanjay Dutt who turned 57 on Friday celebrated his first birthday as a 'free' man with wife Manyata, sisters, Namrata and Priya, and their husbands, Kumar Gaurav and Owen Roncon, cutting the first cake at midnight.

A source close to the actor adds, "Sanjay's kids, Shahraan and Iqra, who go to bed by 9 pm, missed out on the midnight celebrations. So the doting dad made it a point to wake up early the next morning despite the late night before they left for school and cut another cake with them. The kids gifted the birthday boy a card while Manyata gifted him a hot pair of wheels, an Audi Q7. The family then proceeded to lunch with Manyata and all of Sanjay's favourite dishes were laid out. The day ended with a family dinner at the couple's favourite restaurant in Bandra."

However, before calling it a day, Sanjay cut a third cake with the media at 6 pm, telling them how great it felt to celebrate as a free man. "I spent the last three birthdays in jail. Today, I'm glad I can celebrate it with my kids," he exulted.

The actor also took the opportunity to address rumours of a rift with Salman Khan, making it a point to underline the fact that the actor had called to wish him. "He is my younger brother, there is no fight between us and can never be. I had called him too when he got a clean chit in the court cases. I'm happy for him, I don't want anyone to go through what I did," he said emotionally.

However it's not all play and no work for the Dutt who has his hands full. "Marco Bhau, with Vidhu Vinod Chopra, will begin in November. I'm doing a film with Mahesh Manjrekar too which is a remake of the Marathi film De Dhakka. And the next Munnabhai film is expected to roll by 2018," he informed, adding that he has resumed his workouts and is also practising martial arts. "I have also given up alcohol and follow a strict diet to keep fit," he concluded.

Upala KBR (DNA; July 29, 2016)


Says a source close to Dutt, “He returned from Dubai a day earlier, after having celebrated Manyata’s birthday there with few of her close friends — people who stood by them during their tough times. The Dutts flew back on Tuesday as now Sanju wanted to celebrate his birthday among family and friends.”

The source adds that, in fact, the actor wanted to keep it quiet his birthday quiet and didn’t want a grand celebration. “Sanju will spend the day spent with his close family and friends at his Pali Hill apartment in Bandra. Friends have flown in from various parts of the world to be with the actor. Wife Manyata bought the best birthday gift for the hubby — a luxury car, which is all set to arrive at the actor’s residence today.”

The birthday celebrations will begin from morning and be followed by a dinner only with family at a fine dining restaurant — a favourite of Sanju and Mana. “Sanjay’s twins Iqra and Shahraan picked out the birthday cake for their daddy from their favourite cake shop.”

Sonali Joshi Pitale (MID-DAY; July 14, 2016)

There was a time when Salman Khan and Sanjay Dutt’s friendship was counted among Bollywood’s legendary bonds. It goes all the way back to 1991 when the two worked in Saajan. But, there has been stone- cold silence between the two since Dutt walked out of prison in February. While reasons behind the rift are still unclear, the frost might have started thawing. If sources are to be believed, Dutt’s wife, Manyata, has been making attempts to get in touch with Salman and convince him to give the friendship another chance.

“Manyata is eager to play peacemaker between the two stars, who are not on talking terms and are going to great lengths to ensure they don’t cross each other’s paths. She wants to bring an end to the cold war and revive the longstanding bond,” says an industry source.

It was speculated that the rift was ignited when Ranbir Kapoor, ex of Salman’s ex Katrina Kaif, was chosen to play the protagonist in Dutt’s biopic. Then reports emerged that the Bajrangi Bhaijaan actor had recommended his manager to Dutt to help him bag plum projects after completing prison term. However, after waiting for months, he allegedly didn’t get any good offers and decided to fire Shetty. That didn’t go down well with Salman, the reports claimed.

The two were expected to make peace at politician Baba Siddiqui’s iftaar party — just the way Salman and Shah Rukh Khan did two years ago. However, Dutt skipped the feast. At an awards function in Spain last month, the two chose to party separately and kept distance from each other. “But, Manyata does not want the negativity to fester. She wants them to swallow their pride and get back to being best of buddies. She has already convinced Dutt to let bygones be bygones. Now, she is trying to reach out to Salman by sending messages of peace to put the misunderstanding behind them,” adds the source.

Dutt’s spokesperson says, “ There is absolute no problem between the two and therefore, the question of reconciliation doesn’t arrive. In fact, at the recent awards event, Sanjay and Salman had a long chat over coffee post which Sanjay even attended a party hosted by Salman.”