Mumbai: Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt, who turned 62 on Thursday, has played a variety of characters across action, drama, thriller, and romance genres in his career span of four decades.
Born to two of Indian cinema’s finest actors Sunil Dutt and Nargis on July 29, 1959, the star has had a rather bumpy road to success, with his life largely marred with controversies. Still, over the years Sanjay has managed to stay on top of the game.
Looking back at his career, it becomes apparent that there is no genre that he did not tap into. Sanjay Dutt has given some of the most memorable characters to Indian cinema and has wowed the audiences time and again with his iconic portrayals. Here’s a look at some of his evergreen movies that fans will cherish forever.
1. Rocky (1981)
Sanjay made his debut with ‘Rocky’ and it was the birth of a star. Making his debut alongside many seasoned actors, his performance stood out in the film. With his very first film, Sanjay established his name in the industry, and thus the film went down as a huge hit by a debutant. Fans still revisit the movie solely for the fact that it’s timeless and even countless re-watches wouldn’t be enough.
2. Saajan (1991)
‘Saajan’ is yet another movie by Sanjay Dutt, which never gets old. He gave an amazing performance in the film, however, its theme and subject were what made it the right choice among fans, who loved the movie so much that a re-watch or two would never bore them. The movie was released during a time when Sanjay was known for his role in certain romantic drama films.
3. Sadak (1991)
‘Sadak’ at the time of its release was a box office wonder. The movie saw Sanjay playing a character that was not much explored at the time and his role as a taxi driver who would go to any length to save his love sent the fans crazy. The actor was subject to endless praise for his role in the movie and such was the love of fans for the film that a sequel of it followed almost 2 decades later.
4. Khalnayak (1993)
When counting the greatest movies of Sanjay, one just simply can’t skip ‘Khalnayak’ from the list. Be it the action, the story, or the songs, the movie nailed it in all aspects and Sanjay’s role is still remembered dearly by everyone. The film’s title track is another memorable song from the hit movie, which raked in big numbers and was a financial hit at the box office. The present-day collection of the movie after inflation adjustment stands at more than 160 crores.
5. Vastav (1999)
In the film, Sanjay played the titular and iconic character of Raghunath Namdev Shivalkar. His ’50 Tola Sona’ dialogue is still one of the most remembered lines from the film. The movie also gave rise to a lot of mimics trying to copy Sanjay’s character in real life and some of them even made a career out of it. Sanjay’s performance in the movie was also outstanding and it’s easily one of the best films that the actor has performed in.
6. Haseena Maan Jayegi (1999)
Before the ‘Munna Bhai’ series came ‘Haseena Ma’am Jayegi’, which was another rare comedy film that Sanjay was a part of. The actor was at his comedic best and paired with other super talented stars like Govinda and Karisma Kapoor. With its comedy-infused script, the movie became a timeless classic.
7. Mission Kashmir (2000)
‘Mission Kashmir’ is yet another feather in Sanjay’s hat. It is one of his best movies by far and had won numerous awards back when it was released. Be it the story, the acting, the theme, or the character portrayal, everything was flawless and the movie became one of Bollywood’s classics, which won’t be forgotten anytime soon.
8. Munna Bhai MBBS (2003)
Any Sanjay Dutt movie list is incomplete without the mention of ‘Munna Bhai MBBS’. The film has been deemed a turning point in Sanjay’s career by many, as it was the first out-and-out comedy that the actor did after a long time. The character he played was something that fans had never seen him take up before. It was also a special film because Sanjay got to work with his dad who by then had turned to politics. The star’s fans to date can re-watch the movie endlessly without getting bored.
9. Lage Raho Munna Bhai (2006)
Popular amongst the fans, a sequel to the hit film was made on enormous public demand and the result was yet another hit. Sanjay as Munna Bhai is to date one of the most beloved Bollywood characters. The movie just like its predecessor is fun to watch and can be re-watched on loop again and again. Another sequel of the series is one of the most popular demands by fans.
10. Agneepath (2012)
Another turning point in Sanjay Dutt’s career came when he took the iconic role of Kanchacheena. The movie is the remake of the Amitabh Bachchan film of the same name. However, the villain’s role was tweaked in such a way that Sanjay’s portrayal of the character became the talk of the town. Sanjay became one of the most famous villains in Bollywood with his superb performance in the movie. The film remains evergreen and his performance in it is enough reason for people to revisit the movie.
From his debut till now, Sanjay has been part of some of Bollywood’s greatest movies, and his fans have gotten behind every character and film that the actor has taken on. Here’s wishing many more successful years to the star.