Born as Balraj Dutt on June 6, 1929, in Khurd Village, Jhelum District, British India (now in Pakistan), Sunil Dutt's journey to stardom was marked by resilience. After graduating from Jai Hind College in Bombay (now Mumbai), he worked at the city’s BEST Transport division. His interest in performing arts was kindled during his stint as an announcer on Radio Ceylon’s Hindi service.

Sunil Dutt debuted in Hindi cinema with Railway Platform in 1955. His first major success came with Mother India in 1957, where he delivered a memorable performance as the outlaw hero Birju. Some of his other notable films include Ek Hi Raasta (1956), Gumrah (1963), Waqt (1965), Hamraaz (1967), Padosan (1968), and Reshma aur Shera (1972). He acted in over 100 films, produced 7, and directed 6.

Sunil Dutt led a life marked by simplicity and philanthropy. Despite his stardom, he shared a small room in South Mumbai with eight people during his early days in the city. His hobbies included philanthropy and listening to music.

In 1958, Sunil Dutt married his Mother India co-star, Nargis. Their love story, which blossomed on the sets of Mother India, is considered one of the most iconic in Indian cinema. They had three children: Sanjay Dutt, a well-known actor, and two daughters, Priya Dutt and Namrata Dutt.

Sunil Dutt's commitment to social causes led him to politics. He joined the Indian National Congress in 1984 and was elected to the Parliament of India for five terms from the constituency of Mumbai North West. He served as the Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports in the Manmohan Singh government from 2004 to 2005. He also founded the Nargis Dutt Cancer Foundation in memory of his wife, who succumbed to cancer in 1981.

Sunil Dutt's contributions to Indian cinema were recognized with several awards. He won the Filmfare Award for Best Actor twice, for Mujhe Jeene Do in 1964 and Khandan in 1966. In 1996, he was honored with the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award. He was also a nominee for the Golden Berlin Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival in 1972 for Reshma Aur Shera.