Veteran actor Shatrughan Sinha has entertained generations for more than five decades. From being part of classics such as Kaala Patthar, Dostana, and Naseeb to becoming iconic for his famous dialogue, “Khamosh”, he has truly seen it all. While he made his mark primarily in Hindi cinema, he also explored regional films, including Punjabi cinema. One such film was the 1983 Punjabi hit Putt Jattan De, co-starring Dharmendra, which went on to gain significant popularity. In a recent conversation with Aaj Tak, Shatrughan Sinha revealed how Putt Jattan De unexpectedly came to his rescue during one of the most frightening moments of his life.
Recalling an incident from a visit to New York during a time when mugging was rampant, he shared that he had been invited for dinner at a friend’s place late at night. “I was staying at the Radisson Hotel in New York. After dinner, she suggested she would drop me back. It was the peak era of mugging in the city. It was around 1 am, and the area was completely deserted. She dropped me a little ahead of the Radisson Hotel and said, ‘That’s the hotel, you can walk from here.’ I agreed. I got down, and I was carrying a shopping bag filled with items, basically everything that could attract a mugger. I was alone on the street, and there was complete silence.”
He went on to describe how panic set in soon after. “After my friend left, I realised it wasn’t the hotel. All the buildings there look the same, and I became extremely nervous. I genuinely felt that this could be the night something terrible would happen. I thought, ‘This could be the night I get killed.’ A black man was walking by, and I asked him which side the Radisson Hotel was on. He just said, ‘Get lost.’ It was around 2 am by then. Suddenly, a car started approaching while I stood there, almost waiting for my death on that dark street.”
Shatrughan said the car stopped a short distance away, heightening his fear. “I thought, ‘This is it. This is my end.’ The car reversed, and then I heard a voice from inside ask, ‘Putt Jattan De?’ The person then said, ‘Stop right there.’” What followed, he said, left a lasting impression. “The driver asked me, ‘What are you doing here? You could get killed. This is unbelievable.’ He used his radio, and soon about 20–25 cars arrived. They were all our people from Punjab, our Sikh brothers. They surrounded me from all sides and told me not to panic. They said, ‘This is a very dangerous area, but we recognised you.’ They then safely dropped me at my hotel.”
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He added that when he offered them money in gratitude, they refused. “They said, ‘Not at all. You are our hero. You are Putt Jattan De.’ I never saw them again after that.” In the same conversation, Shatrughan also spoke about his deep bond with the late legendary actor Dharmendra, recalling how the veteran star was always there for him and personally encouraged him to take up Putt Jattan De. “We did many films together and were very close friends. If he was doing a film, it was almost necessary for me to be part of it. I always respected his word. In fact, he and his friend Baldev Khosa were making Putt Jattan De. It was a Punjabi film, and I did it at his insistence.”
Indeed, Shatrughan Sinha and Dharmendra’s bond goes back several decades. One of his earliest films, Pyar Hi Pyar, starred Dharmendra in the lead, with him playing a small negative role. Even in recent times, the warmth between them remained evident. Last month, during Dharmendra’s health scare, Shatrughan Sinha promptly visited Hema Malini and the family.
