Sanjay Dutt

Sanjay Dutt Biography

• Full Name: Sanjay Balraj Dutt
• Date of Birth: 29 July 1959
• Place of Birth: Bombay (now Mumbai), Maharashtra, India
• Profession: Actor and film producer

Sanjay Dutt is an Indian actor and film producer who works primarily in Hindi cinema, and has also appeared in Telugu, Kannada, Tamil, Marathi and Punjabi films. He has acted in more than 135 films and has won two Filmfare Awards, three Screen Awards and a Global Indian Film Award.

Family Background

• Father: Sunil Dutt, actor and politician
• Mother: Nargis, one of Hindi cinema’s most celebrated actresses; she died in 1981, shortly before the premiere of his debut film
• Sisters: Priya Dutt, a politician, and Namrata Dutt, who is married to the actor Kumar Gaurav
• Maternal grandmother: Jaddanbai, a singer, actress, director and producer, and among the earliest female music composers in Hindi cinema
• Education: The Lawrence School, Sanawar, and later Elphinstone College, Mumbai

Marriages and Children

• He married the actress Richa Sharma in 1987; she died of a brain tumour in 1996. Their daughter, Trishala Dutt, was born in 1988 and grew up in the United States with her maternal grandparents.
• His second marriage, to Rhea Pillai, took place on 14 February 1998 and ended in divorce in 2008.
• He married Maanayata Dutt (born Dilnawaz Sheikh) in Goa in February 2008, followed by a Hindu ceremony in Mumbai. Their twins — son Shahraan and daughter Iqra — were born on 21 October 2010.

Early Life and Debut

Dutt first appeared on screen as a child, playing a qawwali singer in his father’s film Reshma Aur Shera (1971). He made his debut as a leading man in Rocky (1981), directed by Sunil Dutt. A career slump followed, with Vidhaata (1982), Naam (1986), Hathyar (1989) and Thanedaar (1990) the notable exceptions.

Rise as a Star

He emerged as a major star in 1991 with Saajan and Sadak, and followed them with Adharm (1992), Gumrah (1993), Khalnayak (1993) — his best-known villain role — and Aatish (1994).

Resurgence

After a second setback he returned with a run of commercial successes:

• Dushman (1998)
• Daag: The Fire (1999)
• Haseena Maan Jaayegi (1999)
• Vaastav: The Reality (1999)
• Khoobsurat (1999)
• Mission Kashmir (2000) and Kurukshetra (2000)

His performance in Vaastav: The Reality won him the Filmfare Award for Best Actor, along with Screen and IIFA Best Actor awards.

Munna Bhai and Supporting Roles

• Jodi No. 1 (2001) and Kaante (2002)
• Munna Bhai M.B.B.S. (2003) – his second Filmfare Award, for Best Comedian
• Dus (2005) and Parineeta (2005)
• Lage Raho Munna Bhai (2006) – Screen Best Actor (Critics), Zee Cine Best Actor (Critics), Global Indian Film Award and a Stardust Star of the Year award
• Shootout at Lokhandwala (2007), Dhamaal (2007), All the Best (2009), Double Dhamaal (2011), Agneepath (2012), Son of Sardaar (2012) and PK (2014)

Later Career

• K.G.F: Chapter 2 (2022, Kannada), Samrat Prithviraj (2022) and Shamshera (2022)
• A cameo in Jawan and a leading antagonist role in the Tamil film Leo (both 2023)
• Ghudchadi and the Telugu film Double iSmart (2024)
• Dhurandhar (2025) and its sequel Dhurandhar: The Revenge (2026), which became his highest-grossing release

Legal Case and Imprisonment

Dutt was arrested on 19 April 1993 under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA) and the Arms Act. On 31 July 2007 the Special TADA Court acquitted him of all charges relating to the 1993 Bombay bombings, but convicted him under the Arms Act for illegal possession of a weapon obtained from others accused in that case. He was ultimately sentenced to five years’ imprisonment and, after periods of bail, completed his sentence in 2016.

Health and Recovery

Dutt has spoken publicly about a long struggle with substance abuse in his younger years, which he has described as “nine years of hell” before he entered rehabilitation. He was later diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer, was treated in Mumbai, and has since recovered.

Biopic

His life was dramatised in Sanju (2018), directed by Rajkumar Hirani, with Ranbir Kapoor in the title role. The film became one of the highest-grossing films in Indian cinema.

Sanjay Dutt – Recent Releases

• Dhurandhar: The Revenge (2026) – returned as SP Chaudhary Aslam; his highest-grossing release.
• Raja Shivaji (2026) – as Afzal Khan, his debut in Marathi cinema.
• The RajaSaab (2026, Telugu), KD: The Devil (2026, Kannada), Aakhri Sawal (2026) and 7 Dogs (2026), his first Saudi Arabian film.
• Dhurandhar (2025), Baaghi 4 (2025), Housefull 5 (2025) and The Bhootnii (2025).

Upcoming Projects

• Baap – in post-production.
• Khalnayak Returns – filming; he returns as Balram “Ballu” Prasad.

Sanjay Dutt Awards List