Sanjay Dutt’s tryst with drugs began around 1980-81, at a time when his mother, the legendary actor Nargis, was gravely ill and undergoing treatment in New York. Her illness - and later, her death - deeply affected him, pushing him into substance abuse. The actor spent years battling addiction and eventually underwent rehabilitation to recover. Over time, Sanjay overcame his drug dependence and redirected his focus toward his acting career. Recently, an old video from the sets of his 1994 film Aatish has gone viral, showing the actor candidly talking about coming clean and the support he received from his family during those turbulent years. In the video, shared by YouTube channel WildFilmsIndia, Sanjay can be heard saying, “I think I saw myself dying. I have got fed up with the idea of hiding, running and people looking down at me and running into the bathrooms and stuff like that. I was falling sick so I decided and I said I need help from my family.” The Munna Bhai MBBS star also shared how working out became an important outlet in his recovery journey. “I think you should divert your attention. You should workout. There is nothing like working out. Physical activity has helped people. It gives a beautiful high better than anything else. There is no high better than life. Adrenaline is the biggest high in the world,” he said. Veteran actor Tanuja, who played a pivotal role in Aatish, recalled being warned by the director about Sanjay’s fragile condition during the shoot. “My director used to tell that don’t touch him, I was supposed to slap him in one scene but don’t touch him, just sort of wave your hand in front of him. If you touch him, he’ll fall,” she revealed. During the same interaction, Pooja Bhatt, who also starred in the film, opened up about Sanjay’s protective nature. “I know him since I was six. He would be constantly telling me, 'Why are you wearing this? Please go to your room and sleep. You shouldn't listen to elders talking and it has been like that since. I dread meeting him in a disco because he will ask, 'What are you wearing? Why are you drinking? Why are you out so late?' It is like that but I adore him. He is like a big lion, beneath that macho thing, he is a sweet, sensitive soul," she said. Sanjay had wanted his mother Nargis to watch his debut film Rocky, but she passed away just three days before its release in 1981. Her death pushed him further into addiction, leading to multiple stints in rehab. His sister, Priya Dutt, once spoke to Vickey Lalwani about how long it took him to recover. “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. 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.” After returning to India, Sanjay turned his back on drugs for good and began rebuilding his life and career.
