Bollywood and the audience have altogether different views when it comes to Sanjay Dutt’s journey. A BBC documentary was made on the actor way back in 1996. To Hell and Back-1996 explored the circumstances under which Sanjay was arrested following the 1993 bomb blasts. Directed by Chris Rodley, this documentary included interviews with Sanjay Dutt, Sunil Dutt, Namrata Kumar Dutt, Prochi Bhatia, Punkej Kharbanda and a few other film journalists as well.
The documentary which gave a proper insight into his life then was deleted but I still managed to put my hands on the copied video. The short video portrayed a sympathetic picture of Sanjay Dutt throwing the light into the political scenario that led up to his arrest. After watching that video, all I could think about was the communal tension and Dutt’s brat image were all factors that made it easier for people to believe that he could have committed any wrong-doings that he was being charged with.
Sunil Dutt was an active politician in Bombay at the time and it is hinted that his work in the Muslim slums was the reason for all of this. And the tabloids were full of his drug-filled lifestyle and he was just the bad boy with so many bad habits. It seemed that the media had already declared him a terrorist.
In the documentary, Sanjay Dutt admits to being on drugs for the early part of his career but comes clean about his rehabilitation days as well. The world was watching Sanjay Dutt but I saw a lost boy who made some mistakes and it wouldn’t have mattered if he was not a public figure. People accusing him never really knew the behind story of it.
But I feel that there is much more to Sanjay Dutt’s life than To Hell and Back.
