When Sunil Dutt’s family was saved by a Muslim man during Partition in Pakistan

Tribune Web Desk

Chandigarh, May 2

Veteran actor-politician Sunil Dutt had once shared that during the Partition, his “entire family was saved by a Muslim man.”

It was in an interview, which he gave weeks before his death in 2005, the actor had spoken about the time when he got a chance to visit his childhood village in Pakistan and how it was a “really emotional moment” for him and how he wanted that his wife Nargis also accompanied him.

Speaking to Lata Khubchandani for Rediff, he said, “I remember when I visited my village (in Pakistan) again after 50 years. I was invited by then prime minister Nawaz Sharif. He was very kind when I told him my desire to visit my village. He made all the arrangements for my visit.”

The Mother India actor grew up in Khurd village near Jhelum city. When he visited the village, he was given a grand welcome. He shared that his village had more Muslims than Hindus but his family “lived in the village without any problem.”

During Partition, my entire family was saved by a Muslim man. His name was Yakub — a friend of my father’s who lived a distance from our village. He helped us escape to the main city,” he recalled.

Sunil Dutt is a highly respected actor’s in the film industry. As a politician in Mumbai he would fondly speak about his childhood in Pakistan, where he grew up.

Sunil Dutt was married to actor Nargis. She died in 1981. “I was very keen that my wife (Nargis) should also see my village, how we went to school. I used to tell her stories about our life there. She was keen to go to Pakistan and see all this. Unfortunately, she couldn’t,” he said.

Sunil Dutt passed away in 2005. He was last seen with his son in Sanjay Dutt starrer ‘Munna Bhai MBBS’, where he played his son’s on-screen father.

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