To Hell And Back How Sanjay Dutt Fought And Won His Battle Against Drug Addiction

ALI PETER JOHN

I have been disturbed with the way stories about drug addiction and drug peddling in the industry has been spreading like a wild addiction ever since Rhea Chakraborty spilt the beans about how doing drug was like a way of life amongst some of the most popular and powerful celebrities working in films and Kangana Ranaut who according to sources close to her was also an addict joined Rhea and literally spread a wild fire not only all over the country and its parliament, but also in different parts of the world. I have known about this bitter truth for more than 50 years and if there is one case which can symbolize what drugs and drug addiction can do,it is Sanjay Dutta,better known as Sanju Baba.

I know Sanjay is in quite a bad state,but I am sure that he would not object to my telling the truth about his story as I am doing it in the interest of young men and women who believe that they can find salvation, moksha or nirvana by feasting on drugs only to repent later...

Sanjay had taken to drugs when he was only 12 years old and in boarding school, a fat only known to his mother(Nargis) who kept the fact even from her husband Sunil Dutt who was neck-deep in work to make up for the heavy losses he half incurred after making great films like Reshma Aur Sera and the first ever one – actor film,’ Yaadein’..

When Sanjay came back after finishing sc hool, he was already in the abyss of addiction, but his father still launched him as a hero in ‘Rocky’.

He was still and addict when he did many more films after the success of ‘Rocky’. And there were times when he was so high and lost that he didnt even know whether he was going or coming. He had a secretary named ,(Shakti Sharma who was also the secretary of Shashi Kapoor who job included waking up Sanjay,brushing his teeth washing face and then rushing him too places where he had to shoot. He could hardly speak and mumbled through his line and his speech had a very strong slur, but film makers continued to cast him as distributors and financer wanted him as the masses loved him

I was with him in Kullu Manali where he was shooting for a film,’Johnny I Love You’ with  Rati Agnihotri, an actress who.was madly in love with him and was determind to marry him and give up her flourishing career till her father asked a team of camera person to follow Sanjay to all the places where he indulged in drugs and then showed the photographs to Rati and asked her is she would marry a man like Sanjay and that was the end of one more love story in the life of Sanjay all because of drugs and alcohol.

He used to drink a bottle of scotch before starting shooting besides the drugs he used to take..

All efforts made by his family, his sisters Namrata and Priya to stop him failed and hr grew into a kind of recluse and stayed locked in his own room. It wad most gloomy and grim time of his life as he lived on drug. It was a time when he was on every kind of drug and even tried to phydically harm himself. There was a time, when he even took a gun and threatened to kill his father. And at anothrr time, he attended a party in a high state and chased the actress Padmini Kolhapuri with a dagger in his hand all over the ‘,Sea Rock’ hotel.

His addiction had turned him into a shadow of what he was after years of addiction.One night, he was in a state of despair and went to.his father and said,’ Papa please help,Im dying’. That night his father rushed him to the breach candy hospital from where was flown to one of the best rehab centres in the US. A new life began for him and he was back to his old self. But  he had decided not to come back to India and was all set to start some business in the US with a friend he had met there.

However  a chance begun to India saw him signing a new film movie directed by an old friend,Pappu Verma. Soon other films like Saajan and Khalnayak followed and Sanjay was on his way to new stardom again. His nine year old battle with drug and addiction had come to an end on a triumphant note...

He is sixty now and living a peaceful life with his wife Manyata and twin children Iqra and Sahraan..

But the cruel game of destiny continued to play havoc with him. He was dying of lung cancer last month and is now under treatment and has taken a break from acting for the next 5 years. How and when he will return his something only destiny knows.

I have been a witness to his rise, fall and rise and after seeing all that he has gone through all his life,I would ask god to give him an award for the way he has fought against all odd and the best award I think god can give him is a chance to live one more life of peace and peace. Will you listen to my prayer, dear god?