Bollywood actor Sanjay Khan reveals, Turkish Don, Dundar Kilic wanted him to be a cocaine king

In a candid chat, the actor opens up about his autobiography, The Best Mistakes of My Life
Picture Credit: Pandarinath B
Picture Credit: Pandarinath B

It wasn't just another rendezvous. Meeting the man who was once titled the most handsome actor in Bollywood, and also a brave heart, who stared death in the face after a gruesome accident on his own production set, meant this meeting would be exceptional. The flamboyant Sanjay Khan continues to exude an infectious charisma, even at 78. Dressed in a grey suit, with a blue printed scarf around his neck and sporting his signature brown shades, Sanjay warmly welcomed us at The Taj West End for an exclusive chat in Bengaluru, just before the launch of his autobiography, The Best Mistakes of My Life.

The first thing we noticed, as we sat down, were the veteran actor’s hands. TV audience of the 1990s, and his fans, will remember how Sanjay wore gloves through the entire series of The Sword of Tipu Sultan. Many people reason that perhaps, his onscreen time required him to hide his singed hands under leather gloves.

Today, his scarred hands stand as a testimony to the superstar’s incomparable life. Even after so many decades, the blemishes remain. Yet, the actor gives a firm handshake as we begin to talk about why he penned his life story. “It’s not just a sudden recollection of memories. As a child, I was blessed with something special. My friends would ask me to narrate stories, and would be spellbound. Even after I became a star, my friends — from high-profile businessmen, drug lords, warlords, politicians and ministers, kings and presidents from all over the world — would request me to narrate stories. So when my dear friend, Tirath Thakur (former Chief Justice of India), told me over dinner at his house, ‘You must write a book before you forget the details,’ it created a sense of déja vu,” says the actor, who coincidently was called a year after that by Penguin India to pen his autobiography.

An encounter in Turkey
The book offers a detailed account of the star’s glam lifestyle, his work, his heroines, his family and his friends – some famous and other infamous, while expectedly delving deeper into his love and passion for horses. But one incident that stands out in the book is the star’s encounter with the Turkish don, Dündar Kılıç. That narrative goes something like this: The actor’s 1980 film Abdullah was released in Turkey, in the Turkish language.

On the last day of the film’s celebrations, the drug lord threw a party in Sanjay’s honour at the posh strait of Bosporus, which is known for its luxury cruises. Sanjay shares what happened that evening. “Dündar suddenly stood up with a glass of vodka in his hand, and said, ‘Sanjay, I haven’t touched liquor in the last seven years. You have made such a great film that talks about bonding between communities; in your honour, I shall drink,’ and he took a slug in Russian style. My friend Yilmaz (Duru, late Turkish actor) asked me to say something, so I took a glass of vodka and said, ‘My friend, Dündar, I come from a great democratic country, and there’s a road that’s named after Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founding father of Turkey. Today, after meeting you, I felt I have met Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, The Second.’”

A creative man
The moment Sanjay completed this sentence, about 30-35 bullets were shot and everyone present was shocked at this sudden firing. Sanjay recollects, “My Arab friend who was sitting next to me said, ‘I told you these Turks are crazy!” When the actor asked Yilmaz what this was about, the Turkish actor prompted the latter to keep talking. The firing in the air was, in fact, in Sanjay’s honour. After that blazing confrontation, the following day, as Sanjay was set to return to India, he was called by the drug lord for an unexpected meeting, and that’s when an irresistible offer was made to Sanjay.

“I walked into his huge building... there were large pictures of steam ships. I thought this man was a Greek shipping tycoon. As I entered, he greeted me with a warm hug,” reminisces the actor. After talking for a while about how much Sanjay earned, the man offered, “I am going to give you an opportunity where you will have houses all over the world, from South of France and London to New York, you will own yachts and cars,” Sanjay assumed he was being offered a shipping business opportunity, but the drug lord said, “In India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal, you will be the head of my cocaine kingdom.”

Sanjay’s bones turned cold. After a moment of intense silence, the actor gathered courage to turn down this offer. He said, “Dündar, first let me thank you for this magnificent offer. But I am very honest. I am an actor, I am a creative man, but in business, I am zero and I will lose your money.” In retrospect, Sanjay thinks the don knew he was lying, but then Dündar gave the actor a tight hug and whispered in his ear, ‘Anytime you need anything, call me!”

Encounters like these, and several such memorable anecdotes make The Best Mistakes Of My Life unputdownable. “My life has been like a giant explosion, very vibrating and very exciting. Readers will get to know of the mistakes I have made, but these mistakes are some of the most extraordinary moments of my life that have inspired me,” he says.

Writing his autobiography was a sacrosanct process for him, and the actor admits, he had to understand the essence to ensure nothing was left out or over-emphasised. Keeping things very real, he signs off saying, “Samajhne wale samajh gaye, jo na samjhe woh anari hain (Those who are smart will understand it, those who can’t will remain naive).”

Penguin Random House India, Rs 599.

ayeshatabassum@newindianexpress.com
@aishatax

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