Sanjay Dutt recalls dad Sunil’s tough call during mother Nargis final days

Sanjay Dutt reflects on the emotional trauma of losing his mother, actor Nargis, to pancreatic cancer more than 40 years ago

More than four decades after losing his mother, actor Nargis, actor Sanjay Dutt has revisited the painful memories of her final days. In a recent interview, the actor reflected on her battle with pancreatic cancer, the trauma his family endured, and the difficult choice his father, Sunil Dutt, asked him to make as Rocky was about to release.

Sanjay Dutt recalls dad Sunil’s tough call during mother Nargis final days

Speaking on the AIG Hospitals YouTube channel, Sanjay recalled Nargis’ battle with pancreatic cancer and the emotional toll it took on their family. “So, mom died of cancer, unfortunately, pancreatic cancer. This was in the early ‘80s, so even the technology we have today wasn’t available back then. There was this massive surgery that was done. We went to New York and got it done at Sloan Kettering,” said Sanjay, adding: “There were a lot of complications with her. I was very young then, about 19 or 20. To see my mother go through all of that, we donated platelets, did everything we could. My sisters were younger than me, and it was a very traumatic time.”

Sanjay reflected on the difficult decision his father, Sunil Dutt, made while Nargis was hospitalised. With his debut film Rocky nearing release, Sunil insisted that he return to complete work on the film, even as his mother remained in a coma. “My film was about to release as well, so that was another pressure. My father sent me back to complete the film while my mother was in a coma. At that time, I just couldn’t understand it, why complete the film when my mother was in a coma? But anyway, I did that and came back.” Remembering his mother’s final days, Sanjay said, “I saw her fighting. I think she just wanted to come back home somehow. She kept fighting until she came back, and once she was home, she gave up the fight. We lost her after she returned here.”

Sunil Dutt was a strict father

Speaking about his late father Sunil Dutt, Sanjay shared the values he has inherited from him. Calling him a strict parent, the Dutt said, “He was a strict father. And I think all the values that we have today came from him, the values of respecting seniors, older people, doctors. Even if the doctor is junior to me, I still respect them because they’re my doctor.”