When Sanjay Dutt revealed he was treated worst in Jail than normal convicts: Maine ek saal Chane ki Dal khayi aur Rajgira mein...

When Sanjay Dutt revealed he was treated worst in Jail than normal convicts: Maine ek saal Chane ki Dal khayi aur Rajgira mein...

In a powerful and emotional speech at the India Today Conclave in 2016, Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt opened up about his difficult time in Yerawada Jail. Speaking in New Delhi, his words conveyed deep pain and a feeling of unfairness, showing a clear picture of how much he suffered, far more than most people realized.

Sanjay Dutt strongly denied that he received special treatment in jail. He said, "It's totally wrong that I had got VIP treatment when I was inside the jail. I was even treated worse than any other normal convict in there because everybody felt that I was getting special treatment." This was a significant revelation, showing the extra burden he carried – the constant scrutiny and the common belief that his fame gave him advantages. He compared his experience to an old injustice, commenting, "I felt that I was back in the British days when the culprits used to sit whenever there was the entry of the Superintendent and wait for him to pass."

His daily life in solitary confinement clearly showed his struggles. "My day used to start at 6 and as the day passed, he used to crib, cry and remember his family," he shared, giving a glimpse into the lonely hours filled with sadness and longing. However, despite the hardship, there was a surprising moment of kindness on his release day when jail officials, who had seen his daily difficulties, simply said goodbye with, "Baba we will miss you."

For Sanjay, freedom wasn't something he immediately felt; it was a slow process of getting used to life again. "To feel free it will take a little time. It's not just 5 years in jail but 23 years with the case going on, wherein there were restrictions and permissions to be taken," he explained, highlighting how the long legal battles before his imprisonment cast a continuous shadow. He talked about his ongoing struggle to "get a grip to feel free again," admitting that true freedom would need time and self-reflection.

Beyond his personal ordeal, Dutt used the event to confirm his strong patriotism, stating that he could "never have thought of harming the country." He pointed out an important lesson he learned in jail: "the country's law."

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Surprisingly, he expressed no regret about being imprisoned, choosing instead to see it as a time of significant personal growth. "I have come out. I am new. I have learnt a lot there. I have no regrets of being there. I have taken it in the positive way," he declared. The physical change he went through – losing 40 kgs from his original 110 kgs – was a clear sign of this transforming experience. More importantly, he spoke of a spiritual awakening: "I learnt more about the Hindu religion, I love Bholenath Anand. I read about him. Where would I have the chance to do all that."

Perhaps the most vivid detail Sanjay shared was about the extremely poor quality of food in jail. His eating experience was boring and unpleasant. "Food was terrible. I ate 'chane ki dal' for one year and a certain vegetable called 'Rajgira' that resembled 'paalak' and it's not edible at all," he recalled with a frown. The fact that the 'Rajgira' was almost impossible to eat was further emphasized by his conversation with another prisoner: "When I asked someone 'Ye kya hai', he said that it was 'Rajgira'. And when I asked him 'Ye kaun khaata hai, he said 'Gadhe bhi nahi khaate'."