Photographer Jagdish Aurangabadkar recalls shooting this family picture at Chembur’s RK studios where they had gone to attend the reception of Rishi and Neetu Kapoor.
This was 1979 note the broad lapels of Sanjay Dutt’s natty jacket when men were still male and not metrosexuals.
It was at this occasion that Bollywood was also introduced to the magical voice of a young Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, his fame just beginning to cross Pakistan.
There’s the teenage Sanjay Dutt, still untouched by the spectre of drugs, tomboyish Priya Dutt who has since metamorphosed into a poised woman and Member of Parliament, then too her Daddy’s favourite.
So there’s Nargis Dutt in her trademark colour–she was often referred to as as the Lady in White beaming despite the underlying poignancy of her presence at RK Studios, an unadorned but beautiful Namrata Dutt.
But the focal point of this photograph is Sunil Dutt, his casual stance, as opposed to the slightly stiff pose of the rest of his family, speaking of his ease with his stardom, as also genuine happiness.
Just a year later, Nargis Dutt was detected with cancer, Sanjay was floundering in a drug-induced haze and Sunil Dutt had to put aside his career to take on the cares of his family.
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