Sanjay Dutt and Madhuri Dixit were once the leading pair of Bollywood. From Saajan, Khal Nayak, Thanedaar to many more, the duo had been paired together multiple times. However, more than their professional fronts, Madhuri and Sanjay grabbed attention for their rumoured affair. It is also reported that the duo was madly in love with each other.

However, when their affair started Sanjay was already a married man. When the news of Sanjay and Madhuri’s affair broke, she was called a homebreaker, and they eventually broke up in 1997. It is said that Sanjay and Madhuri were very serious about each other and the breakup had an ugly impact on Sanjay. Read on as we take a look back at the timeline of Sanjay and Madhuri’s affair! 

Sanjay Dutt and Madhuri Dixit fell in love while working together

Sanjay Dutt and Madhuri Dixit worked together in films like Khatron Ke Khiladi, Thaanedaar, Saajan, Khalnayak, Ilaaka, Sahibaan, and many more. Their on-screen chemistry paved the way for their off-screen love. Soon, they were head-over-heels in love with each other.

During the making of Saajan, the rumours of Madhuri and Sanjay’s affair made their way to the headlines, and the duo often talked about each other in interviews. An acclaimed director also revealed Sanjay’s obsession with Madhuri and that he kept whispering ‘I Love You’ to her. Once Madhuri called Sanjay her favourite co-star in an interview and said:

“My favourite partner is Sanjay Dutt, he’s a real joker…and his stories make me laugh all the time, but he is also a gentleman. Sanju is a fantastic person. He has a loving heart and, in contrast to the widely held view, a good sense of humour. He is the only guy who makes me laugh all the time. He does not play games. He is open and uncomplicated.”  

Sanjay Dutt’s wife, Richa was being treated for a brain tumour while he had an affair with Madhuri Dixit

Sanjay Dutt was already a married man, when he fell in love with Madhuri Dixit. Not just this, his wife, Richa Sharma, was diagnosed with a brain tumour and was in the USA for her treatment when he fell hopelessly in love with Madhuri. There was a lot of tension between Sanjay and Richa during that period because of the long-distance marriage. When Richa came back to India to resolve her issues with Sanjay, she was heartbroken to witness his love for Madhuri.

Madhuri Dixit dumped Sanjay Dutt and broke up with him

It was during their torrid affair that Sanjay’s name cropped in the Mumbai blast and he was arrested in 1993 for illegal possession of arms. Sanjay’s arrest and the news about his involvement in the blast broke Madhuri, and she decided to distance herself from him. Soon, Madhuri dumped Sanjay, and as per multiple reports, the actress asked his sisters to tell him it was over.

In fact, Sanjay Dutt’s wife, Richa Sharma talked about his breakup with Madhuri and stated that he was shattered by it. In an interview with Stardust, Richa shared that Sanjay Dutt had always needed someone to lean on emotionally. In her words:

“At every point in his life, he needs someone to lean on emotionally. Like he was dependent on Madhuri. Now that she has ditched him, he is going to be a shattered man.”

For the longest time, both Sanjay Dutt and Madhuri Dixit avoided each other in public. However, they made a comeback on the screen in 2019, with the multi-starrer film, Kalank.