When Actor Said He ‘Sleepwalked’ Through The Film

Looking gawky but aggressive, Sanjay Dutt made his debut barely a week after his mother Nargis lost a long battle with the Big C. Mother’s absence at the premier with a seat kept empty for her, is a far stronger image associated with the film than anything in this routine campus actioner with Dutt and his ruffian gang(including Gulshan Grover and Shakti Kapoor—remember Dutt’s dance competition with Kapoor accompanied by the song “Aa Dekhe Zaraa”?) battling it out at the boxoffice.

Tina Munim, who was already an established star gamely, played Sanjay’s sweetheart.And Dutt Saab’s friend Reena Roy was cast as a large-hearted Tawaif who sings the film’s best lines, Pyar mein mohabbat mein dil jo toot jaate hain/Log aisi haalat mein mere paas aate hain/Mere dil pe chot lagey to main kahan jaaoon/Geet sunoge huzoor ya main ghazal gaaoon.” 

Recalling the experience of shooting the film, Sanjay Dutt says, “I literally sleepwalked through Rocky. I had no clue what I was doing. I guess that  was not the best time for me to make my debut.”