Sanjay Dutt (born 29 July 1959) is an Indian actor and producer who works mainly in Hindi films. The son of the film stars Sunil Dutt and Nargis, he has had a long and eventful career. It has included drug addiction, which he overcame, a prison sentence under the Arms Act, and cancer, from which he recovered. On screen he is known for Saajan, Khal Nayak, Vaastav and the Munna Bhai comedies. More recently he has become known for villain roles such as Adheera in K.G.F: Chapter 2. His life inspired the 2018 biopic Sanju.
Quick Facts
| Full name | Sanjay Balraj Dutt |
| Nicknames | Sanju, Baba |
| Born | 29 July 1959, Bombay (now Mumbai), India |
| Age | 67 |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Occupation | Actor, producer |
| Years active | 1981–present |
| Parents | Sunil Dutt (actor, politician), Nargis (actress) |
| Spouses | Richa Sharma (1987–1996, her death), Rhea Pillai (1998–2008), Maanayata Dutt (m. 2008) |
| Children | 3 (Trishala; twins Shahraan and Iqra) |
| Known for | Naam, Saajan, Khal Nayak, Vaastav, Munna Bhai M.B.B.S., Agneepath, K.G.F: Chapter 2 |
Early Life
Dutt was born in Bombay to two of Hindi cinema’s biggest stars, Sunil Dutt and Nargis. His sisters are the politician Priya Dutt and Namrata Dutt. He studied at the Lawrence School in Sanawar. As a young man he became addicted to drugs, and he later went through rehabilitation in the United States. His mother died of cancer in 1981, days before his first film was released.
Career
Dutt made his debut in Rocky (1981), directed by his father. After some difficult years, Naam (1986) re-established him. The romance Saajan (1991), with Salman Khan and Madhuri Dixit, and Mahesh Bhatt’s Sadak (1991) made him a leading star. Subhash Ghai’s Khal Nayak (1993), in which he played an anti-hero, was a major hit.
His role as a Mumbai gangster in Mahesh Manjrekar’s Vaastav (1999) won him the Filmfare Award for Best Actor. Rajkumar Hirani’s comedy Munna Bhai M.B.B.S. (2003), in which he played a kind-hearted gangster who pretends to be a doctor, was a huge success. Its sequel, Lage Raho Munna Bhai (2006), was equally popular. He played the villain Kancha Cheena in the remake of Agneepath (2012), opposite Hrithik Roshan.
After returning from prison, Dutt found new success playing villains. He was the warlord Adheera opposite Yash in K.G.F: Chapter 2 (2022) and appeared in the Tamil film Leo (2023). He also had a cameo in Shah Rukh Khan‘s Jawan (2023). He appeared in Housefull 5 (2025) and in Ranveer Singh‘s spy thriller Dhurandhar (2025), which became the highest-grossing Indian film of that year.
Legal Case
In April 1993 Dutt was arrested in connection with illegal weapons linked to the Bombay bombings of that year. He was cleared of terrorism charges, but in 2007 he was convicted under the Arms Act of illegally possessing a weapon. In 2013 the Supreme Court upheld the conviction and set his sentence at five years, taking into account time already served. He served the remainder at Yerwada Jail in Pune and was released in February 2016.
Personal Life
Dutt’s first wife, the actress Richa Sharma, died of cancer in 1996. Their daughter, Trishala, lives in the United States. His second marriage, to Rhea Pillai, ended in divorce. He married Maanayata Dutt in 2008, and they have twins, Shahraan and Iqra. In 2020 he announced he had been diagnosed with lung cancer, and he recovered after treatment. Ranbir Kapoor played him in Rajkumar Hirani’s biopic Sanju (2018).
Awards and Honours
Selected Filmography
Frequently Asked Questions
When and where was Sanjay Dutt born?
Sanjay Dutt was born on 29 July 1959 in Bombay (now Mumbai), India and is 67 years old.
What is Sanjay Dutt known for?
Known for: Naam, Saajan, Khal Nayak, Vaastav, Munna Bhai M.B.B.S., Agneepath, K.G.F: Chapter 2.
Featured image: Sanjay Dutt. Photo by Bollywood Hungama, licensed under CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
