Sanjay Dutt has often spoken about his struggle with substance abuse and how he overcome it. The actor had a well documented battle with drug addiction in the early years of her career. It was also shown in his biopic, Sanju. In a recent podcast with Siddharth Kannan, Ranbir Pushp shared about that phase of Sanjay Dutt’s life when he had given up drinking and was completely focused on his work. He also spoke about whether he felt tempted to use again in a weak moment.

He was shooting in Kullu-Manali in 1992 for his action film Sahebzaade, which starred him along with Aditya Pancholi and Neelam Kothari. The film’s story and screenplay were written by Ranbir Pushp. Recalling those days, the writer revealed that he and Sanjay were among the few people on the outdoor schedule who did not drink and would spend time together.

The writer shared about a conversation he had with Sanjay about his battle with drugs. He recalled asking Sanjay, “Sanjay, kabhi dobara khayal nahi aaya ki jo drugs-vagrayh ka (Sanjay, were you ever tempted again)?”

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Sanjay said the only time he felt like using again was when his first wife Richa Sharma was diagnosed with cancer and was battling for her life. Recalling Sanjay’s words, he said, “Ranbir ji, ek baar aaya tha. Jab Richa ko hospital le gaye, andar operation ke liye. Us waqt woh meri wife thi. Tab mujhe thoda sa, jaise ek aadmi hota hai na, hil jaata hai aadmi, poora body vichlit ho jaati hai ki ye kya ho raha hai life mein. Tab mujhe bole, kuch seconds ke liye laga tha (Ranbir ji, it happened once. When Richa was taken to the hospital for an operation. I was shaken then, you know, the way a person is shaken to the core, your whole body is disturbed, wondering what is happening in life. For a few seconds, I felt like that).”

Sanjay then told him that the thought disappeared almost immediately when he remembered his father, his family and his own life. “Phir mere dimaag mein usi waqt mere father ka chehra, meri family, meri apni zindagi aayi aur fraction of a second woh thought jo hai mere mind se hatak gaya. Matlab woh andar se itna mazboot ho chuka tha us waqt ki duniya ki koi taakat ab mujhe is taraf nahi le ja sakti (At that very moment, my father’s face, my family and my own life came to my mind, and within a fraction of a second, that thought disappeared from my mind. I had become so strong from within by then that there was no force in the world that could ever take me back in that direction),” the actor said.

Sanjay’s dedication during those days left a lasting impression on writer Ranbir Pushp. “Aur woh jitne din the, woh poori purity ke din the. Aur mujhe sabse zyada pavitrata, sabse zyada achchai, sabse zyada honesty, sabse zyada decency, sabse zyada devotion towards work agar kisi ka tha, toh woh Sanjay Dutt ka tha. Us din totally dedicated to work (And those days were filled with complete purity. If there was anyone I saw who had the most purity, goodness, honesty, decency and devotion towards work, it was Sanjay Dutt. He was totally dedicated to his work during those days), ” he shared.

Sanjay Dutt-starrer Sahebzaade’s film poster.

Sanjay Dutt’s first wife, Richa Sharma, tragically passed away from a brain tumor on December 10, 1996, at her parents’ home in New York. The duo also has a daughter together, Trishala Dutt, born in 1988.

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Richa was an actor who made her Bollywood debut with Dev Anand’s Hum Naujawan in 1985 and went on to appear in films including Anubhav, Insaaf Ki Awaaz, Sadak Chhap and Aag Hi Aag. However, her acting career was cut short after her marriage to Sanjay.

Sanjay Dutt’s first wife, Richa Sharma, tragically passed away from a brain tumor on December 10, 1996

Richa Sharma was diagnosed with a brain tumour within two years of her marriage to Sanjay Dutt. She travelled to New York for treatment and underwent multiple surgeries, chemotherapy and radiation. Despite the extensive medical treatment, her condition eventually became terminal. During this period, Sanjay was also dealing with serious legal troubles and was arrested under TADA (Terrorist and Disruptive Activities Act), which prevented him from being with Richa in New York during her final days. Richa died on December 10, 1996, aged 32, while staying with her parents in New York. She and Sanjay’s daughter, Trishala, was subsequently raised by her grandparents in the US.

Sanjay Dutt had earlier opened up about his battle with stage 4 lung cancer, which he was diagnosed with in August 2020. Recalling the moment he received the news, the actor said he was alone at the hospital when he was abruptly told that he had cancer.

Sanjay revealed that his family history immediately came to mind, including the deaths of his mother Nargis Dutt from pancreatic cancer and Richa’s from brain cancer. “I was alone and suddenly this guy comes and tells me, ‘You have cancer.’ My first reaction was that, once you hear something like this, your whole life reflects back at you. I have a history of cancer in my family. My mom died of pancreatic cancer. My wife (Richa Sharma) died of brain cancer. So, the first thing I said was that I don’t want to take chemotherapy. If I’m supposed to die, I will just die but I don’t want any treatment,” he had said.

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Sanjay Dutt’s sister and politician Priya Dutt had earlier spoken about how deeply Sanjay Dutt was affected by the death of his wife, at the age of 32. Recalling that difficult period, Priya told Vickey Lalwani on a podcast, “It was a very tragic thing to get diagnosed with a brain tumour at that age and to pass away so young. It was particularly tough on Sanjay. But he is a resilient person; he takes things in his stride. You can’t pin him down for too long; he will always come back.”

She also recalled how the family stood by Sanjay during his difficult phases and described his resilience in dealing with personal and professional challenges.

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