Trishala Dutt, daughter of Sanjay Dutt, has always been candid about her thoughts. In a recent interview, she reflected on a phase when she considered following in her father’s footsteps and entering Bollywood. However, she clarified that the decision wasn’t driven by a passion for acting, but rather by a deeply personal desire to be closer to her father.
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She was born in 1988 to Sanjay Dutt and his first wife, Richa Sharma. Tragically, her mother passed away from a brain tumour in 1996, when Trishala was still very young. Following this loss, she was raised by her maternal grandparents in the United States.
Largely staying away from the public eye, she consciously distanced herself from the glamour of Bollywood. Over the years, she has built a life and career on her own terms, establishing herself as a successful psychiatrist in the US with a focus on education and mental health advocacy.
Why Trishala Dutt wanted to join Bollywood
In a recent appearance on the Inside Thoughts Out Loud Podcast, Trishala Dutt revealed that she had, at one point, considered joining Bollywood during her younger years – but not out of a genuine desire to act. Responding to a question about whether she had ever wanted to be part of the industry, she said, “I did think about that when I was younger. I wasn’t thinking that I wanted to be an actor because acting is my passion. I just wanted to be closer to my dad.”
When she was weighing her career choices, her father, Sanjay Dutt, stepped in to guide her, encouraging an honest conversation about what she truly wanted. Having navigated both the highs and lows of Bollywood, his perspective carried weight – making him the ideal person to turn to for advice.
Reflecting on this advice, Trishala highlighted, “He’s been through hell and back, and he said, ‘Is this your calling? Do you feel a pull to it?’ And I said, ‘I just want to spend more time with you’. Then he’s like, ‘Let’s talk about what you’re passionate about and let’s get you on that track. Just because you are so and so’s daughter doesn’t mean that you’re going to be an A-list actress and all these offers are going to be coming to you.’”
Trishala Dutt on her decision to become a psychiatrist
Trishala’s own experiences with mental health guided her towards therapy, eventually leading her to become a therapist herself. Speaking on the podcast, she emphasised that no one is expected to have everything figured out, and that it is okay to struggle. That, she said, is the example she hopes to set through her career.
She said, “I have internal struggles just like everybody else. I became a therapist to let people know that it’s okay to struggle. You don’t always have to have it together, and you’re not alone in this journey. Also, coming from a Bollywood family, I haven’t seen anybody in the industry really speak on mental health too much. I just wanted to be relatable to people, to let them know that whether you’re in the industry or you’re not, it’s not all roses and sunshine. We’re humans just like you.”