Mother India’s son is no more

Family sources said Dutt, who would have turned 76 on June 6, had not been well ever since he returned from Kanpur where he had a heatstroke. He did not surface this morning at 7 am as he normally did. At 11 am, his family decided to check on him. The family doctor who was called in declared him dead.

News of his death sent shock waves across the country because Dutt was a hugely popular figure. People turned up in large numbers at his home to pay their last respects, the crowds breaking the imposing gates of the Apsara Apartments complex in Pali Hill.

The Union Cabinet condoled his death and declared a day’s national mourning today.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who flew to Mumbai, described Dutt as a ‘‘colourful and charismatic’’ personality and a celebrity in the world of cinema who touched the hearts of millions with his purposeful and socially relevant roles in films.

‘‘Deeply influenced by our ethos and traditions, he brought to bear on his thinking and outlook the liberal, secular and Gandhian values of our society,’’ Singh said.

He recalled how Dutt, with his actress wife Nargis, organised the Ajanta Arts Welfare Troupe to entertain jawans in the border areas during the 1962, 1965 and 1971 wars, and how he mobilised public opinion for the fight against cancer.

In a film industry riddled with petty jealousies and rival camps, the actor-turned-politician was a rare breed.

‘‘He was the only committed and honest man I knew,’’ said poet Gulzar.

Dutt’s life spanned an unusual width of tragedies and achievements. He lost his father when he was five, then lived through the trauma of Partition,Nargis’ untimely death due to cancer in 1981 and Sanjay’s arrest after the Bombay blasts in 1993.

Yet he remained a man on a mission, embarking on innumerable peace walks, fighting for communal harmony, donating furiously to all causes including the one that was closest to his heart—cancer aid.

Born in 1929 in Khurd village in Jhelum district, now in Pakistan, Dutt grew up as Balraj Dutt. The teenager came to the country’s entertainment capital wanting to be a movie star.

After a clerical job in the Bombay Bus Service and a stint with a radio station, Dutt got his break when Ramesh Saigal offered him the hero’s role in his Nalini Jaywant starrer Railway Platform (1955).

Over the next five decades, he acted in 102 films including Mother India, Waqt, Humraaz, Milan, Mujhe Jeene Do, Padosan and Gumraah.

His raw portrayal of a rebellious younger son in Mother India propelled him into the big league. It was during the making of this film that he rescued co-star Nargis from a blaze that got out of control on the sets. They were married after the film’s release.

Later, Dutt directed six films including the memorable Reshma aur Shera. His last screen appearance was with son Sanjay in the 2003 blockbuster Munnabhai MBBS.