Mumbai:
A day after Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt was sentenced to five years in prison for illegally possessing arms, television crews reached his Pali Hill residence early, hoping that the former would make an appearance on camera. But that was not to be. Sanjay Dutt did not come out of his home the entire day. All that the media got was a glimpse of his twins - son, Shahraan, and daughter, Iqra, who came down to play. The actor and his wife remained indoors, but for the television crews stationed outside his house, there was a lot to do.
One of the tasks was to keep track of the film stars that came to meet the beleaguered actor. Bollywood once again rallied in support of Sanjay Dutt. Sister Priya Dutt, who is a Lok Sabha MP, arrived at the family home from Delhi, but she, too, avoided the media. Some guests, who had arrived to meet the actor, were kept waiting at the gate as the guards were keen to ensure that no one who was not wanted got in. On Thursday, actor-director Prabhu Deva had to wait for a while before he was allowed inside. The guard at the gate simply did not know who he was. Once Prabhu Deva's car had gone in, the guard sheepishly admitted, "What to do? We do not know who he is?"
Bollywood personalities who met the actor on Friday were Ajay Devgn, Hrithik Roshan, Karan Johar, Abhishek Bachchan, David Dhawan, Milan Luthria, Sanjay Kapoor, Mahesh Bhatt, Raj Kundra and Indra Kumar. All of them avoided speaking to the media. But their message was clear. They are going to stand by Sanjay Dutt in these times of difficulty.
As the day progressed, the media crews knew Sanjay or his wife, Maanyata Dutt, would not speak. But what created a lovely image for the cameras to capture were the Dutt twins, who came down to play in the compound. Iqra and Shahraan were seen enjoying their time outside, unaware of the uncertain future that awaits their father. In fact, after seeing the children, one understands what Sanjay Dutt meant when he said in a statement on Thursday, "I am heart-broken because today along with me, my three children and my wife and my family will undergo the punishment."
But apart from the Dutts, the canines of Pali Hill, out for their evening walks, kept media crews busy. They found the tripods, stationed outside the compound, the best place to relieve themselves. And camerapersons had to be alert to ensure the tripods were safe every time a dog approached.
As the debate over Press Council of India chief Justice Markandey Katju's comments asking for pardon for the actor continues, one thing is clear. Bollywood is rallying behind him in these difficult times. In an industry which is accused of being selfish, this seems to be a healthy sign. As for the scores of media persons stationed outside Imperial Heights in Pali Hill, it will be a wait in the hope that Sanjay Dutt will come out and speak.
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