After Mother India when Sunil Dutt married Nargis, she was seen with him on screen only once, and that too in a one-shot appearance in Yaadein, the 1964 film that Sunil Dutt directed. With his son Sanjay Dutt, Sunil Dutt was seen in 4 films , and at least one of them will surprise you
1. Reshma Aur Shera(1971) : Sanjay Dutt was all of 11 when he made an appearance alongside his father Sunil Dutt in this legendary love story where Dutt Saab played Shera to Waheeda Rehman’s Reshma. Junior Dutt joined the cast on his own insistence. They were shooting a Qawwalli number Zaalim meri sharaab when little Dutt dropped in at the location to meet his Papa. When he saw what was being shot little Sanju was excited. He joined the Qawwalli singers on camera and that’s how Sanjay Dutt made his unplanned screen debut. Recalled Sanjay Dutt, “I was too young to understand what was going on. I am still learning.”
2. Rocky(1981): When Sanjay Dutt made his debut as a leading man, Dutt Saab chose Raakhee Gulzar to play Sanjay’s mother. Raakhee and Sunil Dutt shared a warm rapport from the time she played a small but significant role in Reshma Aur Shera. For the father’s role Dutt Saab wanted another actor. He felt casting himself would be too gimmicky. But Nargijis would hear none of it. “How could anyone else play our son’s father? Who would accept any other actor in that role?” Finally Dutt Saab stepped into his son’s father’s role in Rocky , although sadly father and son did not have any scenes together. “I made my entry into the film after my dad’s character died.”
3. Kshatriya (1993): This epic story of Rajputana valour finally brought father and son Dutt together on the 70 mm screen . They were a solid pair playing against Dharmendra and Sunny Deol who played father and son too. Recalling the epic casting director J P Dutta says, “It was not easy getting them together . Dutt Saab wanted to avoid comparisons with his son.But finally he agreed. The result was dynamite. Both Sunil Dutt and Sanju have a powerful screen presence individually. When they came together the frames exploded.”
4. Munnabhai MBBS(2003): Who was to know this would be Sunil Dutt’s last screen appearance? Playing Munnabhai’s upright father Hari Prasad Sharma came easily to Dutt Saab. An ideologue,a man of principles with a heart soft and gentle contrary to the cold hearted dacoits he repeatedly played in the 1970s and 80s. Recalling the experience of playing his father’s son one last time Sanjay Dutt told me, “Initially when I had to face the camera with him for Munnabhai I felt a certain awkwardness, you know how it is. But Dad is so cool. Before we shot together he called me to his makeup van and helped me chill out.He told me to not think of our relationship but of two actors doing their jobs. That did it.I learnt all the right values from my Dad. But I am sorry to say I couldn’t implement all of them.”