When Vinod Khanna wanted to meet his 'son' Sanjay Dutt

Last week, when he visited Vinod Khanna at the hospital, Sanjay Dutt was choked with emotion.

Bhoomi producer Sandeep Singh recalls, “Last week, Sanju Sir and I went from Bandra together to meet Vinod Sir at the hospital. We were shooting in South Mumbai, Sanju Sir told me before we started the shoot, ‘I want to first go and see my father (Khanna). I have learned to be a man because of him as he taught me a lot of things.’ When we reached the hospital, Akshaye Khanna came down to receive us. As we entered the room where his family was present, it was like we had entered his home — the entire family was there  from his wife Kavitaji, son Saakshi, his brother Pramodji and his sister Shraddha. Akshaye hugged us and asked us to wait while they were asking the doctor for permission to meet Vinod Sir.”

Singh adds that Dutt asked Akshaye why they hadn’t taken his father to the US where his mother Nargis and first wife Richa, who had also suffered from cancer had gone for treatment. “Akshaye told him that Vinod Sir wasbeing treated by the best of doctors in Mumbai. Doctors were not allowing him to meet anybody, but when Akshaye told him Sanju Sir had come. Vinod Sir said, ‘I want to meet my son.’ After meeting him for a few minutes, Baba was very quiet. He must have revisited his past again as he had gone through the same with Richa and Nargisji. He hates hospitals and it was traumatic for him to see Vinod Sir so unwell. He later told us that Vinod Sir was his idol, and ‘Dad and he were such close friends...’ It was

Duttsaab who brought Vinod sir to Mumbai. He saw him in a disco in Delhi and told Vinod sir’s father that he has to act in films.”