Sanjay Dutt, one of the most celebrated stars of Hindi cinema, hasn’t always had it easy. Along with losing his parents-legendary actors Sunil Dutt and Nargis-he also spent time in jail in connection with the 1993 Mumbai bombings.
No regrets except losing his parents
During a recent appearance on The Great Indian Kapil Show, Sanjay candidly discussed his jail experience and how he made the most of his time by engaging in radio shows and theatre. Reflecting on his life, Sanjay said, “I don’t regret anything that happened in my life. The only thing I regret is that my parents left me too soon. I miss them a lot.”
His emotional response prompted host Archana Puran Singh to ask about the furniture he made while doing carpentry in jail. Sanjay revealed, “I earned wages there. Whether I made chairs or paper bags, I got paid. I even started a radio station, called Radio YCP, which played only inside the jail. I got paid for that as well. I did the radio program with topics to discuss, including comedy. Three or four other prisoners would write scripts for the show.” He further shared, “I even started a theatre group where I was the director and murder convicts were my actors.” His initiatives helped bring creativity and structure to prison life.
A chilling encounter with a double murder convict
Sanjay also recalled an eerie incident involving a convict with a razor, “I had a full beard and the superintendent asked me to shave. He sent a prisoner named Mishra ji, who had been jailed for 15 years for double murder. As his razor reached my neck, I asked him how long he had been in jail. He calmly replied ’15 years.’ I asked what crime he was in for, and he answered ‘double murder.’ I immediately stopped him. That’s just an ordinary day in jail.”