Sanjay Dutt's early career was filled with drama, especially surrounding his turbulent relationship with actress Tina Munim and Bollywood legend Rajesh Khanna. Sanjay starred with Tina in his debut film Rocky, and they quickly became romantically involved. However, their relationship became complicated as Sanjay struggled with drug addiction, while Tina allegedly grew closer to Rajesh Khanna.

In his biography Sanjay Dutt: The Untold Story of Bollywood's Bad Boy, Sanjay opened up about the emotional turmoil he faced. Despite the rumors of Tina's affair with Khanna, Sanjay defended her, blind to the reality. When their relationship ended and Tina's affair with Khanna came to light, Sanjay felt humiliated and betrayed, admitting that he had been the laughing stock of the industry.

Anger consumed Sanjay after Tina left him, reportedly because of her affair with Khanna. In a fit of rage, he drove to Mehboob Studios, where Rajesh Khanna was filming. There, he confronted Khanna by sitting directly opposite him, glaring in silence. Although Sanjay was ready to confront Khanna physically, he ultimately refrained. Sanjay later reflected that Khanna was lucky he didn't act on his anger.

In a separate interview, actor Gulshan Grover revealed how Rajesh Khanna, despite the tension over Tina, was warm and welcoming during their shoot for Avtaar, surprising him with his kindness.