{"id":287398,"date":"2025-04-22T07:10:17","date_gmt":"2025-04-22T07:10:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/2025\/04\/22\/nargis-insisted-on-muslim-burial-sunil-dutt-refused-to-cremate-her-despite-pushback-from-others-many-said-that-as-she-was-married-to-a-hindu\/"},"modified":"2025-04-22T07:10:18","modified_gmt":"2025-04-22T07:10:18","slug":"nargis-insisted-on-muslim-burial-sunil-dutt-refused-to-cremate-her-despite-pushback-from-others-many-said-that-as-she-was-married-to-a-hindu","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/2025\/04\/22\/nargis-insisted-on-muslim-burial-sunil-dutt-refused-to-cremate-her-despite-pushback-from-others-many-said-that-as-she-was-married-to-a-hindu\/","title":{"rendered":"Nargis insisted on Muslim burial, Sunil Dutt refused to cremate her despite pushback from others: \u2018Many said that as she was married to a Hindu\u2026\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Nargis<\/div>


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The late Nargis<\/a><\/strong>, often regarded as one of the finest movie stars in the history of Indian cinema, breathed her last in 1981. She died after a prolonged battle with cancer mere days before her son, Sanjay Dutt, made his acting debut with the film Rocky. Her daughter, former politician Priya Dutt, was only a teenager at the time. In an interview, she reflected on how turbulent that period was for the family, and how her father and brother dealt with it. Both of them suffered immensely during Nargis\u2019 illness, especially when she was being treated in the United States.<\/p>\n

In an interview with Vickey Lalwani, Priya said that Nargis underwent seven surgeries in a single week at her lowest, and that the doctors had even warned Sunil Dutt<\/a><\/strong> that she might not survive the procedures. But she came through against all odds, and insisted upon returning to India. She knew that she didn\u2019t have long, and remarked during an anniversary party that she was sure she wouldn\u2019t be around for the next one. She died not too long afterwards, just four days before the premiere Sanjay Dutt<\/a>\u2019s first film. She had assured him that she\u2019d be there even if she had to be rolled in on a stretcher. They left a seat vacant for her, in her honour. Before her death, Nargis had made it clear that she wanted to be buried next to her late mother.<\/p>\n

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Also read \u2013 When Nargis was in deep coma and doctors told Sunil Dutt to take her off life support: \u2018I would sit with her, talk for hours\u2019<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

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In the interview, Priya said, \u201cIt was extremely hard on Sanjay that she wasn\u2019t there to see his first film, and to see his career take off. Rocky\u2019s premiere happened, and we kept a seat next to Papa, empty, for mom. Her funeral was a very surreal kind of a scene. My father, of course, had priests from all over who came and prayed for her. He said, \u2018Many people told me that she was married to a Hindu, so she should have a Hindu funeral\u2019. But he said, \u2018No, it was her desire to be buried, and we will do everything according to her wishes\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"sunil Sunil Dutt conducts Nargis\u2019 last rites. (Photo: Express Archives)<\/span><\/p>\n

Priya continued, \u201cMy mom wanted to be buried in her family kabristan. Then, we went to Haridwar also, mitti leke, with dad. When we brought her body home, there was all this press, and one person asked me how I was feeling. I must\u2019ve said something, because Papa took us to a room and told us that if we want to cry and scream, we should do it with him, but outside, we must maintain our composure.\u201d<\/p>\n

Priya said that her father was a \u2018broken man\u2019 after Nargis\u2019 death, and that he would have difficulty doing basic tasks. He would often wake up in the middle of the night and sit besides her grave, all alone. But he seemed to snap out of his grief overnight, once he realised that he would have to be there for his children, and especially Sanjay, who had spiralled into a drug addiction.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n