Sunil Dutt
Sunil Dutt was a famous Indian film actor, social activist, and politician. His real name was Balraj Dutt. During his lifetime, he performed different duties perfectly and at the same time also worked for the welfare of general public. Due to his exceptional contribution to the society, he won numerous awards as well as titles, and his fans today remember him not just an actor of Hindi Cinema but also a great personality of India. Check out Sunil Dutt wiki, age, family, wife, death cause, biography, facts & more.
Biography/Wiki
Sunil Dutt was born on 6 June 1928 in a Khurd village of Jhelum, Punjab (now in Pakistan). When he was five years old, his father Diwan Raghunath Dutt died. At the age of 18, he witnessed the Hindu-Muslim riots after the partition of India. His father’s friend Yakub saved Sunil’s entire family including his mother Kulwantidevi Dutt, brother Som Dutt, and a sister Raj Rani Bali from these riots, and they resettled in the small village of Mandauli, Yamuna Nagar in Punjab (Now in Haryana).
Sunil Dutt
Then, he with his mother shifted to Lucknow and lived in Aminabad Galli. After a short period of time, they moved to Mumbai, where he joined Jai Hind College and completed his graduation in 1954. For a short while, Sunil also did a job in the ‘Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport’ (BEST) division.
Sunil Dutt
Then, he decided to make a career in the Indian Cinema and worked in many super hit movies. During 1950 to 1960, he was one of the top actors of Bollywood.
Sunil won Filmfare Best Actor Award for the movies- ‘Mujhe Jeene Do‘ in 1963 and for ‘Khandan‘ in 1965. In 1964, he got National Film Award for the film ‘Yaadein.’ In 1967, he won BFJA award for Best Actor for the movie ‘Milan.’
Sunil Dutt Holding Filmfare Award With Actress Nutan
In 1968, he received the ‘Padma Shri‘ from the Indian Government. In 1995, he won the ‘Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award‘ for his valuable contribution to the Indian film industry. In 1998, he got ‘Rajiv Gandhi National Sadbhavana Award‘ from the Government of India.
Sunil Dutt and Meena Kumari Receiving Filmfare Best Actor Award In 1965 From Hollywood Actor Tony Randall
He was honoured with Lifetime Achievement Award three more times; first by Star Screen in 1997, second by Anandalok Awards in 2000, and third by Zee Cine Award in 2001.
In 2005, he acquired the ‘Phalke Ratna Award‘ by the Dadasaheb Phalke Academy. IIFS, London also honoured him with the ‘Glory of India Award.’
On 25 May 2005, at the age of 76, he died of heart attack at his home in Bandra Mumbai and was cremated with complete state honours at Santacruz Crematorium in Mumbai.
Family, Caste & Wife
Sunil Dutt belongs to a Punjabi family from Jhelum district in Pakistan. His father Diwan Raghunath Dutt died when he was just five years old. He, his brother Som Dutt, and sister Raj Rani Bali were reared by his mother Kulwantidevi Dutt in India after shifting from Pakistan.
Sunil Dutt And Nargis
Sunil Dutt With His Wife Nargis And Son- Sanjay Dutt, Daughters- Priya Dutt And Namrata Dutt
Sunil felt love for the actress Nargis during the making of a movie ‘Mother India.’ It is believed that Sunil saved Nargis from the fire that happened on the set of the movie ‘Mother India.’ Nargis got the attraction for Sunil after this incidence. Succeeding in an affair of one year, they got married on 11 March 1958. With time, Nargis gave birth to a son Sanjay Dutt, who is now a successful actor of Bollywood and two daughters Priya Dutt, a former member of Parliament and Namrata Dutt who is married to Kumar Gaurav, son of Hindi film actor Rajendra Kumar.
Career
After working in ‘BEST,’ Sunil joined South Asia’s oldest radio station ‘Radio Ceylon’ and earned a good reputation. Then, in 1955, he entered into the Indian film industry with the movie ‘Railway Platform.’
Sunil Dutt’s Debut Movie ‘Railway Platform'(1955)
In 1957, he came into limelight with the movie ‘Mother India‘ in which he performed as a short-tempered son of Nargis. During the 1950s, Sunil remained a superstar of Indian Cinema for many years and gave several super hit movies such as ‘Sadhna‘ (1958), ‘Sujata‘ (1959), ‘Mujhe Jeene Do‘ (1963), ‘Khandan‘ (1965), ‘Padosan‘ (1967), ‘Gumraah‘ (1963), ‘Waqt‘ (1965), ‘Hamraaz‘ (1967) and many more.
In 1964, he directed and produced a movie ‘Yaadein‘ in which he and Nargis were the only stars. Then, he directed the movies like ‘Man Ka Meet,’ starring his brother Som Dutt in 1968, and ‘Reshma Aur Shera‘ in 1971. However, these films could prove successful on box office.
Sunil Dutt Directed And Produced The Movie ‘Yadein’ (1964)
During the 1970s, his movies ‘Heera‘ (1973), ‘Pran Jaye Par Vachan Na Jaye‘ (1974), ‘Nagin‘ (1976) and ‘Jaani Dushman‘ (1979) proved blockbusters in theatres and established him as a successful actor in the Indian film industry.
He also performed in some Punjabi religious movies such as ‘Man Jeete Jag Jeet‘ (1973), ‘Dhukh Bhanjan Tera Naam‘ (1974) and ‘Sat Sri Akal‘ (1977).
Sunil Dutt’s Punjabi Movie ‘Man Jeete Jag Jeet-1973
His wife Nargis wanted to see her son Sanjay on the silver screen, but unfortunately, due to pancreatic cancer, she died on 2 May 1981, just 5 days before the release of Sanjay’s first movie ‘Rocky.’ In her memory, Sunil established ‘Nargis Dutt Foundation‘ for the curing of cancer patients. He also sponsored the ‘India Project‘ which helps to treat the children having facial deformities.
Sunil Dutt Founded ‘Nargis Dutt Cancer Foundation’
In 1982, Maharashtra government appointed him as the ‘Sheriff of Mumbai‘ for one year. Later, in 1984 he became a member of the ‘Indian National Congress‘ party and was elected to the Indian Parliament for 5 terms from the constituency of Mumbai North West.
Sunil Dutt
After working in the movies ‘Parampara‘ (1992) and ‘Kshatriya‘ (1993), he decided to retire from the film industry to pay his full attention to politics. From 2004 to 2005, he remained as a minister of ‘Youth Affairs and Sports‘ of India.
‘Munna Bhai M.B.B.S‘ (2003) was his last movie before death. In this movie; he appeared with his son Sanjay Dutt.
Sunil Dutt With His Son Sanjay Dutt In The Movie ‘Munna Bhai-M.B.B.S’ (2003)
Facts
- Sunil’s favourite writer was Aghajani Kashmeri who was also his best friend.
- His hobbies were doing philanthropy and listening to music.
- He liked to eat Dum Chicken.
- Sunil was a fan of actress Nargis.
Sunil Dutt With His Wife Nargis
- In 1988, he walked from Nagasaki to Hiroshima (Japan) to appeal for the global demilitarization.