He believes in jaadu ki jhappi (the magical hug) to calm any angry soul. His Gandhigiri has spread like wild fire, in the country and in the world as well. And I was soon to find out what makes Sanjay Dutt, reel-time Munnabhai, a real time hero as well...
The timing was perfect: It was October 2nd 2006, Gandhi Jayanti, Dutt's sequel to the smash hit Munnabhai MBBS - Lage Raho Munnabhai - had just released and office was flying me to Mumbai to meet the star at his Pali Hills residence.
As we sped towards the Dutt residence, my phone rang, it was Sanju baba asking to reschedule the interview.
My heart sank, stories about Bollywood stars and their tantrums abound, and here I was meeting one of THE names, Bollywood royalty and all. However, Sanju baba simply asked us to rush to his place as he had an urgent meeting with his lawyer.
We barely managed to reach his house when we were ushered into the elevator to meet 'Baba', the fond monicker his friends and family have bestowed upon him. Sharing the elevator with us were two of his househelps, people who have been with Dutt for the last decade and more. And their love for their Baba shone in their eyes...
As the door opened to let us into his apartment, what caught my eye were the classic, unpretentious interiors : Pretty much like Dutt, who's known for his Armani fetish and his understated class.
Off-white walls with wood panelling on the ceiling, a clean, minimalist design with beige and black leather couches and comfortable beige cushions and Baba's portraits on the walls. Not movie posters mind you, but photographs taken by friends and family, one dominating each wall.
A black and white family portrait with the beautiful Nargis and a very-handsome Sunil Dutt and another painted collage of Baba posing with a cigar stood out. The latter apparently was a gift from Abhishek Bachchan.
Even as I took in the interiors, I spotted the star at his bar, cleaning cocktail glasses. Wearing snug blue denims, a white shirt with classic lines and pointed brown shoes, Baba walked up to us and sunk next to me on the couch, his eyes smiling his greeting.
The consummate host he is known to be, Baba asked for my preference, ordering a cup of tea for himself. With him sitting right there, my throat was somewhat constricted and the idea of sipping anything was not palatable; consequently, I refused. Baba insisted, "A softdrink? No? Rooh Afza, then?" and we all burst out laughing.
He had made me comfortable and as we spoke, Baba's emotions were reflected in his eyes. His father, the late Sunil Dutt was the real image of Gandhi that Baba ever saw, he told us.
His voice was raw and his eyes were wet as he spoke of his mother Nargis and his episode with drugs. I couldn't help but think: An actor or a human being, perhaps even a little child overwhelmed by life and what she dishes out to him? And I wondered, what makes the man tick?
It's perhaps Baba's complete faith in God and his own destiny that keeps him going in tough times. Both religious and spiritual, Baba's belief in Sai baba and Durga maa is enormous... He even offered to go with us to a temple down south, if the Mumbai blast case was sorted out.
Today, even as the courts grant him bail in the case, I go back to my perception of the actor. Of how he looks into your eyes when talking and does not flinch. Of how he comes across as the boy-next-door who broke some window panes and then apologises profusely for his mistakes. Of how he is a kid who likes to show off his tattoos.
"I have two tattoos. I also have a Shiva tattoo. Isn't this nice?" Baba had said, flashing the one of his arms, while I tried to avoid staring at the one on his chest...
And of course, for someone known to be one of the biggest lady-killers in the industry, Sanju baba also floors you with his bashfulness. When asked if he were a ladies man, Baba blushed and then cheekily replied, "You should tell me, if I am!"
As the interview hour drew to a close and Baba rushed to the lawyer and us to the airport, he waved out to us from his black Mercedes... And it felt like we were friends forever.
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