Sanjay Dutt is the bad boy of Bollywood, a huge star whose macho gangster characters on screen are almost as captivating as the roles he plays in real life. He is known to fans of his tough-guy film parts as “Deadly Dutt”, and his conviction for possessing firearms bought from men accused of being terrorists will be the greatest test of his phenomenal ability to survive personal adversity and controversy.

Like many in the Indian film industry, Dutt, 47, is the scion of a famous family. His late father, Sunil Dutt, was an actor and politician, his mother, Nargis, a screen siren. It has been speculated that his troubled personal life could be traced to the pressure of growing up famous. He was involved in drugs at school and his addiction worsened after his mother’s death from cancer a few weeks before his first major film was released.

He went into rehab in the US, where he met his first wife, Richa Sharma, who nursed him when he suffered from a collapsed lung. Shortly after their daughter was born, Richa died of a brain tumour. He lost a bitter battle with his in-laws for custody of his daughter.

The star of more than 100 films, he invariably features in the top ten lists of the most influential people in Indian cinema, the largest film industry in the world in terms of the number of films produced and tickets sold.

Throughout his travails, he has remained hugely popular, possibly because of the adversities over which he had no control, respect for his parents and a belief that he was naive rather than sinister. Fans who adhere to the latter theory may feel vindicated now that he has been been cleared of conspiracy in the 1993 Bombay bombings and convicted only of illegally possessing firearms bought from the accused terrorists.

The months he spent in jail before he was bailed after his original arrest — more than a year — boosted his career. And he continued to thrive when he was investigated for alleged money-laundering deals and over allegations of links to a mob boss. No charges were brought. Last year his second marriage failed and his father, who had become the Indian Sports Minister, died. “I had to grow up suddenly,” he says. “I’ve no excuse to remain a kid any longer. I’ve no dad to run to with my problems. He was there to bail me out of every crisis.”

He has said of his problems with the law: “I’ve left it to fate and destiny. I haven’t hurt or harmed anyone in life. God is great. One day I will get justice.” He awaits sentencing but is sure to be back on screen. He has always insisted that his lively personal life does not inform his acting. “I prefer not to connect with myself to play a role. It’s too complicated a process for me. I prefer to go with the character. I use work as a therapy.”