Shining the spotlight on the career of the incredible Sunil Dutt, Subhash K Jha walks down memory lane and hears from some of Dutt’s co-stars on why they thought he was so special.
“A true gentleman” is how the legendary Waheeda Rehman describes Sunil Dutt. “He was kind, considerate, and very supportive as a co-star. Dutt Saab ke baare mein jo tareef karen wohkam hai. All of us heroines felt very special in his presence. A wonderful friend, a devoted husband, and a terrific co-star, what more can any woman want? The films I did with Dutt Saab didn’t become big hits. But I cherished every moment of Reshma Aur Shera, which he directed. I even got the National Award for Reshma Aur Shera. Lekin National award unhe milni chahiye. Every frame in Reshma Aur Shera was Dutt Saab’s vision.”
From Nalini Jaywant in Railway Platform in 1955 To Rohini Hattangadi in Munnabhai MBBS in 2003, Sunil Dutt’s heroines always considered him the most chivalrous gentlemanly hero they ever worked with.
Asha Parekh, who did some of her favourite films with Sunil Dutt, says, “Dutt Saab was God’s child. He was a saint in the truest sense of the word. We did Raj Khosla’s Chirag together, where I played a blind girl. Dutt Saab was so supportive and gentle, as if I was really blind. Later, we did one of our biggest hits Heera together. It was one of my last films as a heroine. I think by then he was doing a lot of dacoit dramas like Heera.”
Asha Parekh remembers playing a prank on Sunil Dutt, which he took on his chin. “When we were shooting one of our earliest films Chhaya, one day, I hid Sunil Dutt Saab’s slippers in the backrest of a chair. He searched all day for his footwear and finally went home barefoot. When I sheepishly confessed later, he laughed it off. He was like that only: gentle and always accommodating. After marrying Nargisji, he had no eyes for any other woman. What a love story it was between them!”
Sunil Dutt and Nutan shared a very special onscreen rapport that stretched into six films, none as relevant as Sujata. In this Bimal Roy directed drama on the upliftment of an adopted Harijan girl, Dutt Saab played Adhir a progressive poet who insists on marrying Sujata even as his conservative aunt (Lalita Pawar) threatens to disinherit him. Nutan went on-record to say Sunil Dutt was her favourite co-star.
A year before Sujata, it was Vyjayanthimala in Sadhana whom a righteous professor brings home from a kotha and presents her as his wife to his ailing mother. In the end, Dutt Saab insists on marrying the tawaif. Even though samaaj thinks she doesn’t deserve a second chance, he does. Vyjayanthimala, who did three films with Dutt Saab, says, “He was a true gentleman, a progressive man, and a rational artiste. The way he conducted himself with Nargisji made every woman in India wish he could be their husband. I especially enjoyed doing Sadhana and Amrapali with Dutt Saab. These two are among my favourite films from my own repertoire. Both revolved around my character. But Dutt Saab was one of those very rare heroes who never felt threatened by any heroine. Dutt Saab did so many films where the heroine had an author-backed role, like Mother India, Sujata, and Amrapali. He was very comfortable in his space.”
Waheeda Rehman considers Sunil Dutt as a part of her family. “I went so many times to the borders to entertain our soldiers with Nargisji and Dutt Saab. I was made to feel most comfortable by both of them. I never thought of Dutt Saab as my hero. He was always Nargisji’s devoted husband. But we did two of my most favorite films Mujhe Jeene Do and Reshma Aur Shera together, and several other films.”
Mala Sinha, who did one of her career’s best films with Sunil Dutt, remembers him as one of her favorite co-stars. “During the shooting of B R Chopra’s Gumrah, Sunil Dutt was warm and respectful. He was never late for the shooting, and he had a kind word for everyone on the sets. I really admire him for being the husband and the best father of this film industry.”
Adds Amitabh Bachchan, “He gave me one of my earliest breaks in Reshma Aur Shera. It was a powerful role where I played a mute characters. There were very big stars on location in Rajasthan, like Waheeda Rehmanji. But Dutt Sahib and Nargiji never made me feel like a newcomer. Their warmth and hospitality have stayed with me over the years. I am indebted to Dutt Saab.”
