Trishala Dutt has said she once wanted to join Bollywood in order to spend more time with her father, Sanjay Dutt. (Photo: Sanjay Dutt, Facebook)Sanjay Dutt’s daughter, Trishala Dutt, has often spoken her mind and rarely shied away from expressing herself, even if it meant facing backlash. In a recent interview, Trishala opened up about wanting to pursue acting because she wanted to be around her father, even though it was never her passion. Trishala, born in 1988, is the daughter of Sanjay and his first wife Richa Sharma. Richa died in 1996, and Trishala grew up with her maternal grandparents in the US.‘Wanted to be closer to my dad’In a conversation on the Inside Thoughts Out Loud Podcast, she was asked if she ever wanted to be a part of Bollywood and 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.”She further shared her father’s response when she discussed this with him. “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.’ And he said, ‘Let’s talk about what you’re passionate about and 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 that all these offers are going to come to you.’”Sanjay Dutt is the son of actors Sunil Dutt and Nargis Dutt. His debut film Rocky was produced and directed by his late father.Also Read | Oscars 2027: India’s traditional selection process for Academy Awards might get disrupted by new rules‘It’s okay to struggle’In the same conversation, she also spoke about her decision to become a therapist, explaining, “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.”She also praised Deepika Padukone for speaking openly about mental health, saying, “When Deepika Padukone did speak out, I believe she had talked about depression. I found that to be so brave of her.”Story continues below this ad‘Never lived with my parents’Over the years, Trishala has also spoken about her relationship with her father publicly on social media. She was raised by her maternal grandparents in New York and lives away from her father, rarely visiting India. A few years ago, an Instagram user asked her, “How is it living without your parents?” She responded, “It’s fine, I guess. I never lived with them to begin with (I did, but I was so young I don’t remember much), so I can’t really answer how it feels living without them.”In another interaction, when asked how it feels being Sanjay Dutt’s daughter, she said, “Honestly, it feels normal. He’s like any other father. When I’m with him, it feels like I’m with my dad. It doesn’t feel any different than what you probably feel when you are with your father.”Trishala Dutt is the daughter of Sanjay Dutt and his first wife, actress Richa Sharma, who passed away in 1996 after battling brain cancer. Sanjay married Rhea Pillai in 1998, and the marriage ended in 2008. He has been married to Maanayata Dutt since 2008. The couple welcomed twins – son Shahraan and daughter Iqra – in 2010.Click here to follow Screen Digital on YouTube and stay updated with the latest from the world of cinema.© IE Online Media Services Pvt LtdTags:Sanjay DuttTrishala Dutt