The film Saajan, released in 1991, became a superhit because of its story, memorable songs, and the popular trio of Sanjay Dutt, Salman Khan and Madhuri Dixit. During the shooting of the film, reports about an alleged affair between Sanjay and Madhuri also grabbed attention. Now, the film’s director Lawrence D’Souza has spoken openly about those rumours.
Lawrence D’Souza said that the team was busy shooting the film, working together and having fun on the sets. Because everyone was focused on the work, he did not really pay attention to the rumours about Sanjay and Madhuri’s relationship.
The film ‘Saajan’ was released in cinemas on August 30, 1991.
Reports of an affair were in discussion during the shooting of Saajan
News of the alleged relationship between Sanjay Dutt and Madhuri Dixit during the shooting of the film ‘Saajan’ garnered a lot of headlines. Their on-screen chemistry was liked by the audience, and because of this, various speculations were made about their off-screen relationship. However, the film’s director Lawrence D’Souza says that these discussions were not a big deal for the people present on set.
In a recent interview with Vicky Lalwani, Lawrence D’Souza said that the entire team was so busy and happy making the film that they didn’t get a chance to pay attention to such things. According to him, everyone had a lot of fun during the shooting and they didn’t even realize when the film was completed.
Lawrence D’Souza was the director and cameraman of the film Saajan.
Sanjay used to watch Madhuri’s close-ups through the camera
Director Lawrence D’Souza recalled an interesting habit of Sanjay Dutt while shooting with Madhuri Dixit. D’Souza was not only directing the film but was also handling the camera. He said that whenever he filmed Madhuri’s close-up shots, Sanjay would often come near the camera and watch her through the viewfinder.
Director did not connect it with their rumoured affair
Although D’Souza noticed Sanjay watching Madhuri during her close-up shots, he said he never thought about whether there was anything romantic between the two. For him, it was simply something he noticed on the sets. The director therefore remembered Sanjay’s behaviour but did not link it to the rumours about their alleged relationship.
Separation rumours surfaced after Sanjay’s 1993 arrest
Rumours about Sanjay and Madhuri’s alleged relationship continued around the time of his arrest in 1993. Soon after, reports of the two having separated began appearing. When D’Souza was asked about this in an interview, he said he only came to know about the alleged separation through media reports.
Director refused to confirm family objections
D’Souza was also asked whether Madhuri had distanced herself from Sanjay because of objections from her family. The director said he had no information about it and could not confirm whether family pressure had played any role.
During the shooting of the film Saajan, the chemistry between Sanjay Dutt and Madhuri Dixit was much talked about.
Madhuri’s denial did not affect Sanjay Dutt
In 1993, Sanjay Dutt also spoke about the rumours surrounding his relationship with Madhuri Dixit. At the time, Madhuri had denied being in a relationship with him. Sanjay said her statement did not bother him because they had been working together as co-stars for a long time.
Said friendship with co-stars was often misunderstood
Sanjay explained that he generally tried to maintain a good relationship with all his co-stars. According to him, his friendly equation with Madhuri was simply misunderstood and was eventually reported as a romantic relationship.
Apologised to Madhuri after affair rumours surfaced
Sanjay also recalled that Madhuri was in Kenya shooting for Khel when reports about their alleged relationship appeared in the media. Later, when they worked together on Saajan, Sanjay apologised to her for the unwanted attention caused by the reports.
He acknowledged that Madhuri had to face public discussion over something she had no role in. Sanjay said he felt sorry about the situation and apologised to her, while Madhuri took the matter sportingly.
Gave a humorous reply when asked about dating Madhuri
When Sanjay was directly asked whether he had dated Madhuri, he responded with humour. He said he wished that had happened, but it was not the case. He again explained that his friendly nature with co-stars was often mistaken for an affair.
Worked together in several films
Sanjay Dutt and Madhuri Dixit shared the screen in films including Thanedaar (1990), Saajan (1991) and Khalnayak (1993). After nearly 26 years, the two reunited on screen in Kalank (2019).
