Mid-day
 
Mumbai, Jun 20: After the shootout at his office, Mahesh Bhatt is feeling disillusioned. While Mahesh Bhatt has received over-whelming support from his fraternity, the media and even the law, he laments that the daughter of his friend, the late Sunil Dutt, Priya Dutt, who’s also the MP of North West Lok Sabha constituency (under which Bhatt’s office falls) didn’t bother to call him to enquire about his well-being or offer any assistance.

A source close to the Bhatts said, “Bhatt is disappointed and hurt by Priya’s indifference to the gun attack at his office on Wednesday.”

Bhatt confided about this to his friend Ashok Pandit, whom the director called as soon as he heard that a gangster had barged into his office demanded to know his whereabouts and then fired shots.

How could she?

Pandit admitted to HiTLIST, “Mahesh and I have spoken about this. It is shocking that Priya Dutt has not even called and enquired, leave aside arriving at his office on Wednesday. If she had done so, it would have made a huge difference, even in the police investigation.

Baffling silence

Pandit and Bhatt were close to Sunil Dutt. Pandit says, “Dutt saab ke liye hamari respect ek alag hi thi. He was a genuine person who identified problems of people belonging to every caste and creed.”

Priya’s silence is baffling says Pandit, “Bhatt’s office falls under her constituency.

Plus Mahesh belongs to the fraternity to which her father belonged. Mahesh has stood for so many issues.

Being an MP and also her family friend who tried to patch up her differences with Sanjay Nirupam, she should have shown a keen interest.”

Pandit added that Bhatt had received calls from Sanjay Dutt (Priya’s brother), Aamir Khan (with whom Bhatt had recently waved a white flag), Shatrughan Sinha and Raj Babbar among several others members of the film fraternity.

Bhatt endorses, “Sanju called me and was very concerned about my well-being. He and I share a special relationship.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar has also enquired. I have even received support from the Bar Girls Association which in particular has moved me.”

Asked if he was disappointed and hurt by Priya’s silence, Bhatt underplays his sentiments.

“The assault has been not on me but on the Gandhian principles and spirit by which India lives, which I think is very important because it is a threat to secularism which the Congress propagates. If Priya feels that this issue is important to her, she will come forward. If not, I wouldn’t like to impose it on her.”

Playing mediator

Asked about his efforts in making Priya Dutt and Sanjay Nirupam call a truce, Bhatt agreed that he had tried.

“Somebody had asked me to play a mediator and I told them not to fight as they belong to the same party (Congress), but that’s a different story.

Right now, I want to highlight the fact that my life and existence has never depended on any political party, but the chosen members of the constituency certainly have a duty towards those who believe in the principles and spirit of the Father of our nation. In fact, anybody who lives by those principles and that spirit needs to stand up now and raise a voice.”

Priya Dutt, 39, had defeated Sena’s Madhukar Sarpotdar by an impressive 1,72,043 votes despite a low voter turnout.

Sunil Dutt’s death on May 25 had necessitated a by-election.