Advertisements

Sunil Dutt Biography, The Eternal Love Story With Nargis [Life, Wife, Movie, and Family]

Bollywood veteran actor Sunil Dutt, whose love story with the beautiful superstar of the 1950s, Nargis Dutt, made many headlines and was no less than a superhit masala Bollywood movie script.

sunil dutt

Sunil Dutt Biography

Real NameBalraj Dutt
NicknameDutt Sahab
ProfessionActor, Producer, Director, and Politician
PartyIndian National Congress (INC)
Height (approx.)Centimeters- 178 cm
Meters- 1.78 m
Feet Inches- 5’ 10”
Weight (approx.)Kilograms- 74 kg
Pounds- 163 lbs
Eye ColourDark Brown
Hair ColourBlack
Date of Birth6 June 1929
Birth PlaceKhurd Village, Jhelum, Punjab Province, British India
Date of Death25 May 2005
Place of DeathAt his residence in Bandra, Mumbai, India
Death CauseHeart Attack
Age at the time of death75 Years
Zodiac sign/Sun signGemini
NationalityIndian
HometownMumbai, Maharashtra, India
SchoolNot Known
CollegeJai Hind College, Mumbai, India
Educational QualificationB.A (Hons.) in History in 1954 from Jai Hind College Bombay (now Mumbai)
DebutHindi Film: Railway Platform (1955)
Punjabi Film: Man Jeete Jag Jeet (1973)
Last FilmMunna Bhai M.B.B.S. (2003)
FamilyFather– Diwan Raghunath Dutt
Mother– Kulwantidevi Dutt
Brother– Som Dutt (actor)
Sister– Raj Rani Bali
ReligionHinduism
CasteMohiyal Brahmin
Address8-West, Apsara Co-Operative Housing Society Ltd., 61-B, Shrimati Nargis Dutt Road, Palli Hill, Bandra (West), Mumbai:400050
HobbiesDoing Philanthropy, Listening to Music
Favorite WriterAghajani Kashmeri
Favorite ActressNargis
Favorite FoodNonveg
Marital StatusMarried
Affairs/GirlfriendsNargis
Wife/SpouseNargis
Marriage Date11 March 1958
ChildrenSon– Sanjay Dutt
Daughters– Priya Dutt, Namrata Dutt
Net Worth20 Crore INR (as in 2004)

Born on June 6, 1929, in Khurd village, Jhelum district in British India (in present-day Pakistan), Sunil Dutt was a famous Bollywood actor, director, humanitarian, and politician. Due to his surname, many even today think that he was a Bengali, but Sunil Dutt was a Punjabi by birth.

He was born into a Mohiyal Brahmin family, and his parent’s names were Dewan Raghunath Dutt and Kulwantidevi. His father died when he was very young and still in school. The exact reason for his father’s death is not known, but he died after drinking sweet milk at a shop near his home.

Sunil Dutt’s real name was Balraj Dutt, but he later changed it to Sunil Dutt after joining Bollywood to avoid confusion with veteran actor Balraj Sahani. His family immigrated to India in 1947 after the partition, but Sunil was already in Lucknow as a clerk in the army.

He moved to Bombay in 1950 to complete his studies as he badly wanted his graduation certificate. He enrolled in Jai Hind College through a special quota for refugee students.

He also worked with BEST as a timekeeper for a monthly salary of 120 Rupees. During a drama in college, Sunil Dutt was the narrator or voice from the background. A radio Ceylon representative was present there who liked Dutt Saheb’s voice and offered him a job as a Radio Jockey at a salary of 300 Rupees per month.

He started his career as a radio presenter in the Hindi service of Radio Ceylon, and his famous show was “Lux Ke Sitare.” He was always interested in Bollywood and wanted to act in Hindi movies, and this job just acted as a catalyst. He got his chance to meet Bollywood stars as his show was gaining popularity, and it was one of the best mediums to promote upcoming movies in those days.

He was spotted by filmmaker Ramesh Saigal while interviewing Dilip Kumar during the shooting of “Shikast.” Impressed by his looks, Ramesh Saigal asked if he wanted to work in films, to which Sunil Dutt answered that he would only do so if he was cast in a lead role.

Sunil Dutt rose to fame with Mother India, but he played all kinds of roles, from serious to comedy. His comic role in Padosan with Kishore Kumar and Mahmood was one of the most loved.

He was a popular actor and a successful politician. He joined the Indian National Congress and even became the Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports, but today, we will talk about his love story with Nargis. Sunil Dutt married the beautiful Bollywood actress Nargis. From their meeting to their marriage and after marriage, the story is no less than a film script.

Sunil Dutt’s Wife or Nargis Husband

Today, we refer to Nargis as Sunil Dutt’s wife, but at that time, many people in Bollywood and even outside Bollywood referred to Sunil Dutt as Nargis’s husband. When both got married on 11 March 1958, Nargis was a superstar, while Sunil Dutt was trying to make a name for him in the industry.

sunil dutt

Both got married according to Hindu rituals at the new House bought by Sunil Dutt in Pali Hills.

Nargis has already received the Filmfare award for her movie Mother India and was also awarded Padma Shi by the Indian government. She was the first actress in history to receive the prestigious award.

Sunil Dutt was very much in love with Nargis even before they met or worked together. So, on the occasion of his birthday, let us tell you about the love story of Nargis and Dutt Saheb.

The First Meeting

Though the Nargis and Sunil Dutt love story started in 1957 during the shooting of Mother India Dutt Saheb was already in love with Nargis when he saw her for the first time. They met for the first time during an interview on the radio.

It is said that Sunil Dutt became so nervous after seeing Nargis during the interview that he could not even ask questions. This was not the beginning of Sunil and Nargis’s love. It was their first meeting and the beginning of a never-ending love story.

The second meeting

After this, Nargis and Sunil had their second meeting on Bimal Roy’s film ‘Do Bigha Zamin.’ Sunil Dutt had reached there, and Nargis had come to meet Bimal Roy. In such a situation, they remembered their last meeting when both came face to face. Seeing Sunil Dutt, Nargis smiled, and it left Sunil Dutt awe stock.

The first movie together

More interestingly, Sunil Dutt got the role of Nargis’s son in Mehboob Khan’s film Mother India. During the shooting, Sunil used to forget the line after seeing Nargis and could not act. During this, Nargis helped him so that he could perform comfortably. Sunil Dutt was very impressed by Nargis’s behavior.

It is said that Sunil Dutt’s role was offered to Dilip Kumar earlier, but he refused the offer and said that Nargis is his heroine; how can he play the role of her son? Although Mehboob Khan offered Dilip Kumar the double role of father and son, Dilip Kumar disagreed.

However, even Sunil and Nargis would not have thought that this film would make them fall in love. A scene on the set of ‘Mother India’ was to be filmed where a fire broke out. For this, straw was spread all around. When it was set on fire, it went out of control.

Nargis got trapped inside during the scene and started screaming for help. Seeing Nargis trapped in the fire, Sunil Dutt jumped to save her. He saved Nargis but got burnt marks on his chest and face. This was the first time Nargis realized someone could love her so much that he did not care for his own life.

Nargis showed care towards Sunil Dutt

sunil dutt and nargis

After this incident, Sunil Dutt’s sister fell ill. Sunil did not know any doctors in Mumbai. Nargis went to the hospital with her sister without informing Sunil Dutt and got treatment in such a situation. Due to this, Sunil Dutt started loving Nargis even more. He proposed to Nargis for marriage, and Nargis agreed. After that, both got married secretly as Mother India’s director Mehboob Khan did not want this news to spread as it could have hampered his movie.

Nargis and Sunil Dutt’s age difference

Many people have a misconception that Nargis and Sunil Dutt had a considerable age gap, but contrary to it, they were almost the same age. They were only divided by 5 days. Nargis was 5 days older than Dutt Saheb.

Life After Marriage

Sunil Dutt and Nargis had three children (one son and two daughters). Sanjay Dutt is the youngest of the three children, and Priya Dutt is the youngest.

sunill dutt children

Sunil Dutt carried on his acting career and appeared in many movies. He did all kinds of movies ranging from action to comedy.

His 1968 movie, ‘Padosa,’ is still regarded as one of the cult comedy movies. In it, he was paired opposite Saira Banu, who was 15 years younger than him.

However, Nargis was diagnosed with cancer before the release of Sanjay Dutt’s debut film Rocky. She was receiving treatment, but she was constantly in pain. She said she would watch her son’s first film regardless of what happened. Although Sanjay Dutt’s film was released on May 8, 1981, Nargis died on May 3. Sunil Dutt, on the other hand, kept his promise to Nargis. Sunil Dutt had left one seat empty on the day of the film’s premiere; that seat was reserved for Nargis Dutt.

Sunil and Nargis Dutt Movie

After their first movie, Mother India, Dutt Saheb and Nargis never acted together. Produced and directed by Sunil Dutt, Yaadein, released in 1964, had a Silhouette of Nargis. The movie had only one actor and also registered its name in the Guinness Book of World Records as having the fewest actors in a movie.

Sunil Dutt death

Sunil Dutt died on 25th May 2005 due to a heart attack at his Bandra residence. He was 75 years old at the time of death and was just 11 days away from completing his 76 years of life. What can be the bigger evidence of Sunil Dutt and Nargi’s love story is that both were born in June and died in May?

Some Interesting facts about Nargis and Sunil Dutt

  • Sunil and Nargis Dutt addressed each other as “Pia” or “Hey There.”
  • Sunil Dutt never addressed Nargis as “Nargis jee,” “Nargis,” or even as “my wife.” He always used to address her as Mrs. Dutt.
  • Sunil Dutt has a younger sister and Brother. His younger brother, Som Dutt, also appeared in Hindi movies but could not make a name for himself. Later, he focused more on Punjabi movies.
  • Once, Sunil Dutt and his friend had a bet on Nargis’s autograph, whose reward was a feast in a Punjabi restaurant. This was an incident when Sunil Dutt did not even enter the Hindi film industry.
  • Dutt Saheb and Nargis’s elder daughter Namrata Dutt is married to Rajendra Kumar’s son Kumar Gaurav.
  • Rajendra Kumar was also his roommate when he came to Bombay.

Filmography

YearMovie TitleDirectorProducerBudget (INR, Approx.)Box Office Collection (INR, Approx.)Opposite ActressNotes
1955Railway PlatformRamesh SaigalRamesh Saigal3 lakh (est.)15 lakh (moderate)Nalini JaywantDebut film; radio host turned actor
1956Ek Hi RaastaB.R. ChopraB.R. Chopra40 lakh (est.)1 crore (superhit)Meena KumariFirst hit with Chopra
1957Mother IndiaMehboob KhanMehboob Khan60 lakh (est.)8 crore (all-time blockbuster)NargisOscar nominee; married Nargis 1958
1958SadhnaB.R. ChopraB.R. Chopra50 lakh (est.)1.5 crore (superhit)VyjayanthimalaSocial reform drama
1959SujataBimal RoyBimal Roy50 lakh (est.)2 crore (superhit)NutanNational Award-winning film
1960Hum HindustaniRam MukherjeeSashadhar Mukherjee40 lakh (est.)1 crore (hit)Asha ParekhEnsemble patriotic film
1962Main Chup RahungiA. BhimsinghA.V. Meiyappan50 lakh (est.)1.5 crore (hit)Meena KumariEmotional drama
1963GumrahB.R. ChopraB.R. Chopra60 lakh (est.)2 crore (superhit)Mala SinhaRomantic thriller
1963Mujhe Jeene DoMoni BhattacharjeeSunil Dutt (Jagruti Pictures)50 lakh (est.)1.5 crore (hit)Waheeda RehmanFilmfare Best Actor; dacoit role
1964YaadeinSunil DuttSunil Dutt40 lakh (est.)50 lakh (average)None (solo)Experimental one-actor film
1965WaqtYash ChopraB.R. Chopra1 crore (est.)6 crore (blockbuster)SadhanaMulti-starrer; top grosser of 1965
1965KhandanA. BhimsinghVasu Menon60 lakh (est.)2.5 crore (superhit)NutanFamily drama
1966Mera SaayaRaj KhoslaPremji70 lakh (est.)3 crore (superhit)SadhanaMystery drama
1967HamraazB.R. ChopraB.R. Chopra80 lakh (est.)4 crore (blockbuster)VimiSuspense thriller
1967MilanAdurthi Subba RaoL.V. Prasad60 lakh (est.)2 crore (hit)NutanRemake of Telugu film
1968PadosanJyoti SwaroopMehmood, N.C. Sippy70 lakh (est.)3 crore (superhit)Saira BanuComedy classic
1970Bhai-BhaiRaja NawatheRaja Nawathe60 lakh (est.)1 crore (average)Asha ParekhLesser-known drama
1971Reshma Aur SheraSunil DuttSunil Dutt1 crore (est.)50 lakh (flop)Waheeda RehmanDirectorial debut; box office failure
1972Zindagi ZindagiTapan SinhaNarsingh Narain80 lakh (est.)1 crore (average)Waheeda RehmanEmotional drama
1974Geeta Mera NaamSadhanaR.K. Nayyar1 crore (est.)2 crore (hit)SadhanaAction drama; Sadhana’s directorial
1976NaginRajkumar KohliShankar Movies1.5 crore (est.)5 crore (blockbuster)RekhaHorror hit; multi-starrer
1978Daaku Aur JawanSunil DuttSunil Dutt1 crore (est.)2 crore (superhit)Reena RoyDirected and starred
1979Jaani DushmanRajkumar KohliRajkumar Kohli1.5 crore (est.)6 crore (blockbuster)RekhaHorror blockbuster
1981RockySunil DuttAmarjeet2 crore (est.)5 crore (superhit)Tina MunimSanjay Dutt’s debut; Sunil directed
1986Kala Dhanda Goray LogSanjay KhanSanjay Khan2 crore (est.)3 crore (hit)Anita RajCrime drama
1993ParamparaYash ChopraFiroz A. Nadiadwala5 crore (est.)4 crore (average)Aamir Khan (co-star)Multi-starrer
1993KshatriyaJ.P. DuttaJ.P. Dutta6 crore (est.)5 crore (average)Meenakshi SeshadriEpic multi-starrer
2003Munna Bhai M.B.B.S.Rajkumar HiraniVidhu Vinod Chopra10 crore81 crore (blockbuster)Gracy SinghLast film; with Sanjay Dutt

FAQs

Saira Banu and Sunil Dutt age in 1968?

Saira Banu was 24 years while Sunil Dutt was 39 years old.

Sharing Is Caring: