22 May,2026 02:10 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Trishala Dutt with Sanjay Dutt
Trishala Dutt, daughter of actor Sanjay Dutt, largely grew away from the limelight and the shadow of her father's fame. She is the actor's daughter from his first wife, Richa Sharma. Trishala's mother passed away in 1996 when she was just eight years old. Recently, Trishala opened up about her childhood in New York with her maternal grandparents.
Trishala grew up in New York under the care of her maternal grandparents. Her father was busy with his movie career in India but would visit her whenever he could.
Speaking on the YouTube channel Inside Thoughts Out Loud, Trishala recalled experiencing bullying from as early as the age of five or six, mainly because she was Indian. She shared that growing up without a strong emotional support system made things even harder for her.
The bullying continued through middle school, especially after she gained weight during that phase of her life. By high school, the situation worsened as classmates became aware of her celebrity background and family. Reflecting on those years, Trishala admitted she often felt isolated and wished she had someone she could openly talk to.
Trishala also spoke about losing her mother at a young age. She revealed that her mother had been diagnosed in 1989 with an advanced stage of brain cancer, one of the most aggressive forms of the disease.
At the time, Sanjay Dutt was balancing work commitments in India while travelling frequently to the US for Richa's treatment. Amid the emotional turmoil surrounding her family, Trishala found comfort in food, which eventually led to weight-related issues. She shared, "When I was younger and my mother was going through cancer, I developed a weight problem because I turned to food for comfort. People think that if you are a celebrity's daughter, you have to look a certain way and I just didn't look the part of Sanjay Dutt's daughter".
She also recalled how media attention during her visits to India affected her confidence. She recalled, "When I was a child, so many things were written about me, people would leave mean comments," she said and added, "Nobody has thicker skin than me because I have seen it all at a very tender age."
Explaining why she chose to become a therapist, Trishala said many people assume she had an easy life because of her background. While she acknowledged growing up with certain privileges, she emphasized that she also dealt with emotional struggles and personal battles behind closed doors.
