When Sanjay Dutt’s daughter Trishala Dutt opened up about coping with his jail term: 'People expected me to cry publicly'

Sanjay Dutt’s elder daughter Trishala Dutt, a psychotherapist based in New York, recently shared a hard-hitting note on Instagram about choosing mental health over preserving family image.

The post left many fans linking it to her personal equation with her father. As conversations around her bond with Sanjay resurfaced, in an old 2015 interview with Hindustan Times, Trishala spoke about dealing with her father’s jail term, how the phase forced her to grow up, and why she never wanted to piggyback on her famous surname.

On staying connected with Sanjay Dutt

Speaking about her father, she had said, “I sent him a Father’s Day message already, but for his fans, I can say that they must watch out when he comes back, because he’s going to be back with a bang, as usual.

He is someone you can’t break, and I’m sure his fans will be completely blown away once he’s back. Even I’m excited, [and] I can’t wait to see what he’s going to do.”She revealed that the two kept in touch through letters. “When he went to jail, and I knew I wasn’t going to hear regularly from him for the next two-three years, that’s when I realised that it’s time to grow up. Yes, I was sad, but I had to be strong for my family and myself.”

‘Tough situations strengthen you’

Trishala admitted that the situation was emotionally draining, but it shaped her into a stronger individual. “I’m not a child anymore, and I think some people forget that, and expected me to cry publicly, because everyone has seen me in my baby stages while I was growing up in Bollywood, but that’s not who I am anymore. Tough situations really strengthen you as a person.”

On carving her own path

The psychotherapist also asserted that she never wanted to be defined as a typical star kid. “I never wanted to be like the other ‘star children’, and piggyback on the family name. If I did, how would I be different from anyone else? I really respect actors who worked hard and made it on their own, without the help from anyone else, except their own will and determination.”Talking about rejections and challenges she faced, she said: “Rejection is what made me work harder, it did not weaken me. Whenever I see a hurdle coming my way, I just shrug it off and welcome the challenge with open arms.”