Bansi Lal angered and charmed Sunil Dutt-Nargis in 24 hours: Book

A new book on Indian politics has brought a big basket of anecdotes to give the readers full doses of humor while the ongoing Lok Sabha electioneering is raising heat. For instance, it narrates the story how, on a span of 24 hours, film star couple Sunil Dutt and Nargis underwent the emotions of anger and jubilation, thanks to the former Haryana chief minister Bansi Lal.

Anil Maheshwari, senior journalist and author, in his latest book, Compulsive Nose-Picking And Other True Tales, has given an account of the star couple’s encounter with Bansi Lal. “Congress heavyweight L.N. Mishra was well-known for his connection with Bollywood and his friendships with celebrities. On one occasion, as a favor, he referred Sunil Dutt and his actress wife Nargis to Haryana chief minister Bansi Lal, a dear friend of Mishra,” writes Maheshwari in the book, published by BluOne Ink.

Bansi Lal was the third chief minister of Haryana. He became chief minister of the state again in the 1980s amid prevalent political instability. “Driving from Delhi to Chandigarh, the celebrity couple reached an hour late for their appointment with Bansi Lal. The Secretariat was packed with crowds of people because word had leaked out that Sunil Dutt and Nargis were visiting. Everybody wanted a glimpse of the stars. However, by that time, the CM had left for the day,’ writes Maheshwari.

When the chief minister was informed of the couple’s arrival, he asked his secretary to ask them to hand over their documents and go. “Sunil Dutt and Nargis were furious at Bansi Lal’s attitude. They had expected to meet the CM and not his secretary. When they reached Delhi, they complained to their friend, L.N. Mishra,” adds Maheshwari in the book.

The film star couple had flown back to Bombay the next day. “On reaching home, to their utter surprise, a telegram from Bansi Lal lay waiting at their doorstep. It simply announced that their request had been granted.”

Maheshwari writes that the request was concerning an event related to the Partition of India. “Sunil Dutt’s family had been allotted a piece of land in Yamunanagar [in Haryana] as reparation for the losses following Partition, where the actor had built and established a school. However, as his film career started soaring, he became increasingly busy and couldn’t ensure its smooth functioning,” adds the author.

It emerged that Sunil Dutt requested the state government to take over the management of the school. “Once Bansi Lal’s office received this request, although he hadn’t yet met the Dutts personally, he expedited the process and enquired about the school from the deputy commissioner of Ambala. He received no adverse reports and ordered the sanction for taking over immediately,” writes Maheshwari.

While the representation had been collected from the Dutts the previous day at the Secretariat, the chief minister decided to dispatch a telegram to personally inform the Dutts of the official decision. “Sunil Dutt and Nargis hugely appreciated this gesture. They went on to become close friends after this incident,” writes Maheshwari.