Madhuri Dixit and Sanjay Dutt was among Bollywood’s most talked about couples in the early 90’s, after sharing the screen in Saajan and several other films. But behind the camera hit their personal bond turbulence when Sanjay was arrested in connection with the Mumbai blasts in 1993. According to older writers and film historians Hanif Zaveri, the arrest created a clear gap between the two stars – one that played out in a very public way.
The party she silently jumped over
Zaveri recalled an incident from a party organized by Mahaanta director Afzal Khan shortly after Sanjay’s release on the castle. The event was meant to be a media gear that presented Madhuri and Sanjay together for the first time after arrest.“There was a scene on one side and a table with chairs on the other. Madhuri went in with his secretary and some others, but instead of going to the stage they sat near me, ”Zaveri told Meri Saheli.He continued, “I noticed that they seemed worried and assumed that they would eventually join the role. But Madhuri and her group got up and left. All the photographers were waiting for the first photo of Madhuri and Sanjay together. I knew why she left – she didn’t want to be photographed with him.”
Family pressure and personal fear
The historian also offered contexts about Madhuri’s personal life at that time. Her mother had been anxious that she would settle down, which first suggested singer Suresh Wadkar and later Doctor Sriram Nene. But Madhuri’s priority was security and distance in the midst of Sanjay’s legal problems.“She was afraid she would also be investigated,” Zaveri explained. Despite the fall, Madhuri and Sanjay eventually reunited on the screen decades later in Kalank, which proves that although time can heal certain wounds, some memories remain lively in Bollywood’s history.
