Exclusive! Sanjay Dutt on his bond with Paresh Ghelani; International Brothers Day Special

On screen, audiences saw a glimpse of it in Sanju — the deeply emotional friendship between Sanju and Kamli that became the beating heart of the film. Off screen, that bond exists in the life of Sanjay Dutt in the form of his closest confidant, and brother Paresh Ghelani — a relationship that has quietly endured for over four decades. While the film captured fragments of their friendship, the real story runs far deeper — shaped not by cinematic highs, but by years of unwavering presence, shared silence, and standing by each other when life was at its most unforgiving. On International Brothers Day, Dutt opens up about what brotherhood truly means to him — and why, for him, it was never about blood, but about choice.

'Real brotherhood is about who stands beside you when life stops being easy'

For Dutt, who has two sisters Namrata and Priya, the idea of brotherhood was never confined to family ties. It was something he discovered over time — shaped by the people who chose to stay. He says, “Brotherhood, to me, was never about blood. Blood can make you related, but it doesn’t guarantee loyalty, love, or presence. Real brotherhood is about who stands beside you when life stops being easy. Who stays when the world walks away. That’s the only definition I’ve ever believed in. I am blessed with an incredible family, beautiful sisters born to the most loving parents… but somewhere deep inside, growing up, I used to wonder what it would feel like to have a brother to be protected by or to be a protector, to lean on when life gets tough. And then life, in its own strange way, answered that feeling without me even realizing it, God brought Parya into my life. Not through films, not through business, not through fame or convenience. Just through life. And over the years, he became something much bigger than a friend to me. He became the person who never needed an explanation, never judged the storms, never disappeared during the difficult chapters. In a world where most relationships become conditional, he remained unconditional. There are people who come into your life for moments, and then there are people who quietly become part of your soul. Parya is that for me. What I found with Parya is beyond blood. We chose each other as family. And to me, that choice carries even more meaning. Some bonds are written by birth. Others are written by life. Ours was written by both fate and loyalty.”

'I’ve made mistakes, I’ve faced consequences'

If the idea of brotherhood was defined in quiet moments, it was tested in the most public and turbulent phases of Dutt’s life. Through the highs that were celebrated and the lows that unfolded under scrutiny, he says, one truth became clear — not everyone stays. He says, "My life has never been a straight road. I’ve had highs that people celebrated, and lows that became very public. I’ve made mistakes, I’ve faced consequences, and I’ve gone through chapters that tested me in every possible way. In difficult times, you learn very quickly who truly belongs in your life. Because when everything falls apart, most people slowly disappear. Parya never did. During the years I was fighting my own battles, he kept showing up — visiting me, writing to me, standing by me like nothing in the world had changed. And later, during my health battle, when there were moments even I didn’t know how strong I was supposed to be, he sat next to me through all of it. We laughed together, we cried together, and sometimes we didn’t even need to speak. That kind of presence is rare in life. That’s not friendship anymore, that’s brotherhood.”

'He didn’t come with advice or big speeches'

When Sanju brought a version of this friendship to the big screen, audiences connected instantly with its emotional core. But for Dutt, what played out on screen was only a fraction of the truth. He says, “There are too many memories to choose from, but if there’s one that still stays with me deeply, it’s from one of the darkest periods of my life. I was completely lost inside myself. It was a kind of darkness I can’t fully explain even today. The kind that changes you. Honestly, a big part of my fall began during that time. And through all of it, Parya was there. He didn’t come with advice or big speeches. Nobody really knew what to say to me back then. He just stayed. Sometimes for hours, sometimes through the night, sometimes just sitting quietly in the same room with me so I wouldn’t feel alone. He was barely more than a boy himself, with his own life, his own future ahead of him, but somehow, he carried my pain like it was his own. When Sanju released and people saw glimpses of our friendship on screen, the country and the world connected with it emotionally. And I was grateful for that. The real moments, the ones that define brotherhood, happened far away from cameras, headlines, and public eyes. Even today, when I think about that young boy sitting beside me through my darkest nights without asking for anything in return, it still makes me emotional. Because after all these years, with everything life has changed around us, one thing never changed — him. He’s still the same brother today that he was back then.”

'Parya has never wanted anything from me'

In an industry where relationships often come with expectations, Dutt believes what made this bond endure was its complete lack of transaction — on both sides. “Honestly, I don’t think there’s a ‘secret’ to our brotherhood. The truth is much simpler than people expect. Parya has never wanted anything from me. Not fame, no films, no introductions, no favors — nothing. And in the world I come from, that’s rare. Most relationships in this industry, even the genuine ones, eventually can become transactional in some way. There’s usually an expectation attached somewhere. With him, there never was. But at the same time, I never looked at him through the lens of what he could do for me either. Our friendship was never built on usefulness, influence, or exchange. It was built on genuine respect, trust, and love for each other as human beings. That’s why it survived everything life threw at us. The other reason our friendship has lasted is because we’ve never tried to manage or change each other. He lets me be myself, and I let him be himself. There’s no pressure, no pretending, no conditions between us. Just honesty, respect, and trust. But more than anything, our bond became unbreakable because we went through real fire together."

'Parya is very disciplined and thinks ten steps ahead'

The two of them recently joined hands for their new brand Tigerfire. Ask them how do they balance professional and friendly bond, Sanjay said, "We are both passionate, opinionated people, and when you truly care about something, there will always be strong conversations. But the important thing is, our relationship was never built on business — so business can never break it. Tigerfire was never meant to1` be just another business venture for us. It started as a passion project between two brothers who wanted to create something bigger than themselves, something that could perhaps outlast both of us. We don’t really look at it as a company or a commercial exercise. For us, it’s a reflection of our life journey, our experiences, our scars, our loyalty, and the philosophy we have lived by. And our promise to never give up on each other. That’s the soul of Tigerfire. So yes, we debate. Sometimes intensely. Parya is very disciplined and thinks ten steps ahead. He focuses on structure, detail, and building something that lasts. I come from emotion and instinct — I focus on how something should feel, what energy it carries, whether it has a soul or not. Naturally, those two approaches will sometimes collide, but we are both fighting for the exact same goal — to build the best possible product and something truly meaningful. There is never ego in it, no politics, no personal resentment. We speak openly, we challenge each other honestly, and then we move forward together."

'What I admire most about him is not the superstar the world celebrates, but the man behind it all'

Echoing the sentiments of brotherhood, Paresh Ghelani shares, "What this journey with Sanju has taught me is that loyalty is not something you speak about, it’s something you live. It’s not built in the good moments. Anyone can stand beside you when life is easy, when the lights are bright and the world is applauding. The real meaning of friendship reveals itself in the difficult years when the headlines turn against you, when people disappear, when silence replaces celebration. That’s when you learn who truly belongs in your life. With Sanju, there was never a moment where I had to 'decide' to stand by him. He’s family to me. And when someone becomes family, loyalty stops being a choice, it becomes instinct. You show up. No matter what."



He continues, "What I admire most about him is not the superstar the world celebrates, but the man behind it all. Especially, during his battle with his health. I watched him go through one of the hardest fights of his life with a level of strength, grace, and calm that genuinely changed me as a person. There was never any self-pity, bitterness, or desire for sympathy. Just this quiet courage and an unmistakable 'eye of the tiger' mentality — a relentless focus on facing everything head-on, no matter how difficult it was. That fighting spirit, that refusal to break, is something deeply inspiring and rare to witness up close. Watching him go through that journey made me respect, admire, and love him on an even deeper level. Tigerfire exists because of this bond — never the other way around."