Sanjay Dutt wishes he knew more about the law

Sanjay Dutt has been through his fair share of bad times, and having been released from jail in February he is glad that it’s now all over. However, he feels he should have been more aware about the terms of the law much earlier.

Talking to the media about his experiences,��Times of India, reported the actor expressing, “Every citizen should know the law because once you are in jail, no amount of money can buy you back your freedom. In 1993, when I went to MN Singh (then Joint Commissioner of Police, Crime), he decided my case fell under the provisions of TADA. Had I known then what TADA meant, I’d have questioned it.”

Though he was convicted, Dutt is glad he wasn’t seen as a high end criminal, as he went on to add, “I was convicted under the Arms Act for possession of a rifle which was never found nor used to threaten anyone. Still it’s a big relief that I’m not branded a terrorist and an anti-national thanks to the SC’s judgement. My father (Sunil Dutt) who had passed away by then, would have been happy.”

Serving time in prison can be traumatic, frightening and very emotional, though Dutt made sure he used all his energy to be positive and found different ways to keep in high spirits. Addressing how he used his time, it seems all Dutt needed was faith as he said, “I read the Bhagavad Gita, the Ramayana and the Puranas, used buckets and clothes lines to work out, learnt Marathi and how to make paper bags. I also worked at the radio station and in the natak mandali in jail where I taught 60-70 convicts serving out life sentences to mouth dialogues, sing, dance and express themselves through skits.”

Though Dutt was supported by everyone, his biggest pillar of strength was wife Manyata, who had visited him every month without fail. “I don’t know if I’d have done as much. She’s made me realise how important a wife is. She’s given me a home, two beautiful children, stayed strong and helped me stay strong,” Dutt expressed.

Talking about why he got so much support from others, the actor explained, “Today, after coming out of jail, I realise people respect me because I didn’t run away. I served my sentence like a man and came out like a man, with dignity.”

Now all geared up to get back into the world of films, Dutt has a lot lined up including Rajkumar Santoshi’s ‘Power’, Sejal Shah’s ‘Hasmukh Pighal Gaya’ and Subhash Ghai’s ‘Khal Nayak Returns’.