- Sanjay Dutt was sentenced to five years jail for illegal weapon possession in 1993 Bombay blasts case
- He learned forgiveness from a jail constable, emphasizing its role in personal growth
- Dutt described himself as a good father, cancer survivor, and a person taught by his father to be humane
Sanjay Dutt is among the most prolific Hindi film actors but in March 1993, he was sentenced to jail for five years in connection with the serial blasts in Bombay (now Mumbai). He was charged with illegal possession of weapons.
He served his jail term in installments, but it continues to be one of the most controversial chapters of his life. Over the years, he has opened up about his sentence and how it has shaped him, broken his ego, and taught him how to keep his body in shape without any gym equipment.
Sanjay Dutt Shares A Life Lesson He Learnt In Jail
In a recent conversation with AIG Hospitals' Dr D Nageshwar Reddy, Sanjay Dutt shared how he learnt the importance of forgiveness in confinement.
Dr Reddy noted that "sorry" and "thank you" are two words that ground a person, but we often forget to use them in everyday life. "And forgiveness," added the Vaastav star.
Recalling his time behind the bars, he shared, "I have also learned this during my jail term. I have learned to forgive. A hawaldar (constable) taught me this. He told me, 'Learn to forgive people, and you will grow more in your life.'"
The constable asked him to forgive people even if they hurt him. "But it is very difficult to do that," Sanjay Dutt admitted.
"That is the main thing," he concluded.
Sanjay Dutt On His Definition Of Success
The actor also opened up about his definition of success, which has changed over the years. Dr Reddy noted that Sanjay Dutt is an actor, a father, and a cancer survivor, but he wanted to know how the Khalnayak star would define himself.
"I am a good father, I am a cancer warrior," the actor said, adding that above everything else, his father, Sunil Dutt, taught him to be a good human being.
What Else Did Sanjay Dutt Learn In His Jail Time
Speaking to IANS, Sanjay Dutt revealed that serving in confinement made him realise a lot of things. "It broke my ego," he added.
"My confinement days have been nothing less than a roller coaster ride. To look at the positive side, it has taught me a lot and made me a better individual," the actor told the publication.
He shared that during his prison time, he learnt how to keep his body in shape using trash cans and mud pots instead of weights and dumbbells that are typically available in a gym.
"We also used to have a cultural function every six months in jail where I taught convicts serving out life sentences to deliver dialogues, sing, dance, and express themselves through skits," he shared.
For his connection to the Bombay blasts case, the actor served 18 months in jail during the trial, and in 2013, the Supreme Court sentenced him to five years in Pune's Yerwada Jail. He spent 42 months at Yerwada Central Jail.
In February 2016, Sanjay Dutt was released from prison. He told the publication, "The day I was released after the final verdict, it was the happiest moment of my life. I was missing my father (Sunil Dutt). I wish he was alive to see me free. He would have been the happiest person. We should never forget our family, they are the pillar of strength always."
Sunil Dutt died of a heart attack in 2005.
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