Sanjay Dutt Was Shattered By Nargis' Death, Took Years To Recover From Addiction: Priya Dutt

Sanjay Dutt’s journey into Bollywood was deeply overshadowed by personal tragedy, as he lost his beloved mother, legendary actress Nargis Dutt, just days before his debut film Rocky hit the screens.

Sanjay Dutt with his mother Nargis Dutt.

Source : Sanjay Dutt/Instagram

Sanjay Dutt’s journey into Bollywood was deeply overshadowed by personal tragedy, as he lost his beloved mother, legendary actress Nargis Dutt, just days before his debut film Rocky hit the screens.

How Sanjay Dutt moved to drugs after mom Nargis' death

At only 21 years old, Sanjay was grappling with the intense grief of her passing, which occurred after a long battle with cancer.

The emotional toll of losing her — especially before he could fulfill her dream of watching his debut on the big screen — became a turning point in his life, one that spiraled into years of drug addiction and emotional isolation.

During this difficult time, Nargis was undergoing treatment in New York, and much of the family — including Sanjay’s father Sunil Dutt and sisters Priya and Namrata — were by her side. Left mostly alone in India, Sanjay began to struggle in silence.

Priya Dutt talks about brother Sanjay utt's drug abuse

In a recent interview with Vickey Lalwani, Sanjay Dutt’s younger sister, Priya Dutt, opened up about those years between 1980-81 that left an indelible mark on the family. She revealed, “Sanju’s drug abuse had started while our mother was sick.” She explained that with no one around to supervise or guide him, Sanjay’s substance use intensified.

“As he was here (India) most of the time. Nobody had the time to keep a check on him, because our focus then was our mom and her illness.”

Things worsened dramatically after Nargis’s passing, leaving Sanjay emotionally shattered and more withdrawn than ever. “Mom’s passing away really took a toll on him.”

Nargis, despite her illness, had pinned all her hopes on watching her son’s debut and often spoke about being present at the premiere — even if it meant arriving on a stretcher. “Mom often warned him that his movie has to be released and that she will be there for him,” Priya shared.

Sanjay Dutt's debut film

Sanjay’s much-awaited debut, Rocky, was scheduled for release on May 6. Sunil Dutt had made all the arrangements, planning to wheel his wife to the premiere. Tragically, Nargis passed away on May 3, just three days before the film’s release. “This was extremely hard on him that she was not able to see his debut movie. Rocky’s premiere happened and we kept a seat empty for mom next to papa,” recalled Priya.

Though Rocky became a box office success and was the 10th highest-grossing film of the year, Sanjay found no joy in the accomplishment. The pain of not having his mother there haunted him deeply, further fueling his addiction. Sunil Dutt tried everything — from rehab centres in India and Germany to finally sending his son to the United States for treatment.

“It took about 3 to 3.5 years for bhaiya to recover. He went to a couple of rehab centres in Germany, and here too, but it didn’t help. Then he went to the US, where he stayed for nine months. We had no connection with him for those nine months. Dad was not allowed to stay with him. The counsellors there said this boy just doesn’t open up. They were looking for a trigger point for him to open up,” Priya explained.

That breakthrough came in a deeply emotional way. The counsellors reached out to Sunil Dutt, who then sent them a voice recording of Nargis — a message she had once recorded for her son.

“They played the voice note from mom to bhaiya during a counselling session. This triggered him. After the incident, he broke down completely and that changed everything.”

It was this powerful emotional release — hearing his mother’s voice once again — that finally began Sanjay Dutt’s long and difficult road to recovery.