A Correspondent | May 25, 2005 12:32 IST
Last Updated: May 25, 2005 13:17 IST
Union Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs and actor Sunil Dutt passed away after a heart attack at his home in Bandra, northwest Mumbai, on Wednesday morning.
He would have turned 75 on June 6.
After he complained of being unwell since the morning, the family doctor was summoned. The end came at 11 am. He recently visited Kanpur where he is believed to have suffered a heat-stroke.
In a movie career spanning five decades, Dutt acted in 102 films and directed six, including the memorable Reshma Aur Shera. His most recent release as an actor was the 2003 superhit Munnabhai MBBS, where he acted alongside son Sunjay Dutt.
He is survived by his son, daughters Namrata and Priya, sons-in-law and grandchildren. His wife, the legendary actress Nargis, passed away in May 1981.
Sanjay Nirupam, who unsuccessfully contested against Dutt from the Mumbai North-West Lok Sabha constituency in May 2004 as a Shiv Sena candidate and has now joined the Congress party, said he was shocked to hear about Dutt's demise.
Nirupam, who had a history of bitter rivalry with Dutt, said the veteran MP was like a father figure for him.
"There were issues during the 2004 Lok Sabha election, but I have apologised to him several times. I never hurt him intentionally," Nirupam, who lost the election, said.
Dutt had taken Nirupam to court for the latter's adverse comments about his parliamentary record.
