Koffee with Karan – Sanjay and Priya Dutt

The bigger they are, the harder they fall. That’s something that I have not given too much thought to, but today, I must say, I did. The only part is that when David fell, no one was unhappy. But today when I saw a great man fall, I for one was unhappy.

I am talking about Sanjay Dutt. By now, everyone in the remotest village knows of his sentence. Even though he is going to re appeal, things look rather glum for our Munna Bhai. I’m not a big fan, but irrespective, I felt really bad when I saw him on Koffee with Karan today. This episode was shot when he was still awaiting his sentence and I can’t think of a better time to air it than now, when he needs the support of his people the most. Looking cultured and mature in his suit, Sanjay sat there and in the duration of one hour, bared his soul to us. Though involuntarily, as you could see him fighting to control his emotions, we finally got to see the real Sanjay- a little boy who is rather lost in a big mess. He does not seem to want much, except forgiveness and freedom. Karan gently started him off with a visit into his past – the tragic death of his first wife, the divorce with his second and a confirmation that a third does not exist. Then, there was a really thoughtful and heartfelt segment where Karan showed Sanjay what the common people thought of Munna. Throughout the screening, you could see him trying hard to control himself as people talked about fasting and praying for him, but in the end, when an old woman said that her blessings were his, you could see the tears in his eyes. I don’t blame him; they were there in mine too.

Sanjay Dutt with his sister Priya Dutt

As Priya Dutt came on, things got a little back to normal. Though she sounded quite patronizing, you could see that she was there only for him. It does not take Einstein to figure out that this is PR for Sanjay, but no one is complaining. The audience got a glimpse into the troubles the Dutt family has faced and the hell they have been through. There was another surprise when a video of his daughter Trishala was aired in which she spoke about what a wonderful dad he is.

The rapid fire was quite boring because Sanjay was very careful, except for his admission to being a womanizer. Priya, who won the hamper, had a really sad rapid fire because it was so political. Then, there was a final video of other stars and their message to Sanju Baba. This too left him spell bound and all welled up.

Sanjay Dutt in Koffee with Karan

In a few words, this was not a usual KWK episode. That’s because it was intense, emotional and about a man who is fighting against fate right now. There are those who advocate his freedom, there are those who applaud the sentence. To say who is right is for the judge, not me. But today I saw a big man who is falling. I just hope there is someone to catch him and break his fall.

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