My father's only fight was to see me free: Sanjay Dutt

After a long wait of 42 months, Sanjay Dutt today has been set free from Yerwada jail in Pune, where he was serving the remainder of his five-year sentence for possession of illegal arms in the '93 Mumbai bomb blasts case.

After visiting Siddhivinayak Temple and his mother Nargis Dutt's grave, Munnabhai met the press, where he said his father Sunil Dutt's only fight was to see his son free.

"I miss my father today. If he would have been alive, he would have been the happiest person. His only fight was to see his son free. Today, I can say dad I am free. I love you," he told the media here.

Emotional Sanjay even said that though he is a free man, it is still tough for him to believe the fact and hence, needs some time to sink in to the reality.

"For 23 years I wanted to be a free man. I wanted to taste freedom and today, finally the day has come that I walked out of the jail as a free man. But it's not sinking in me, I think I am on a payroll leave or something, but I know I will come to terms with it," told the actor.

Sanjay also mentioned that since, his mother left them when they were very young, he felt it was his duty to tell her in person that he's now a free man.

This 42-month-long time was not only a fight for Sanjay, but also for his wife Manyata, who stood as a pillar to his whole family. Speaking about her, the 56-year-old actor called her to be his "best half," not "better half."

"She is not the better half; she has been the best half. I fell weak sometimes, but she stood strong," he added.