Actor Sanjay Dutt surprised everyone on Sunday evening when he landed at a campaign meeting of his father Sunil Dutt, who is the Congress candidate from Northwest Mumbai. 

Sanjay had earlier stated that he would not be campaigning for his father because of his proximity to Shiv Sena leader Bal Thackeray.

"Main apne abu se milne aaya hoon aur aap apne vote mere abu ko dena (I have come to see my father and you all please give your vote to him)," said Sanjay Dutt to an audience of nearly 3,000 people at Muslim-dominated Nargis Dutt Nagar in suburban Bandra.

Though the junior Dutt appeared only for two minutes on stage, the audiences were overwhelmed to see the star of Munnabhai MBBS.

Many of them were jostling and pushing each other to get a glimpse of the actor and some were also trying to shake hands with the actor.

Earlier in the evening, Sanjay Dutt met his father at suburban Andheri and travelled in an autorickshaw. 

"After seeing me he immediately hugged me. It was after two months I met him. We are very busy with our own lives and I never get to see him that often, especially during the election time," Sanjay Dutt said.

"I am happy that he came to show his support for me," said Sunil Dutt.

Sanjay is an accused in the serial bomb blast case of Mumbai. He was behind bars for allegedly taking part in the conspiracy that killed more than 250 people on March 12, 1993.

Sena chief Bal Thackeray was instrumental in helping Dutt junior getting bail. As a goodwill gesture, it was reported at that time, Sunil Dutt did not contest the 1996 and 1998 parliamentary elections against Shiv Sena candidates.

In 1999, however, Sunil Dutt re-entered politics and won his Northwest Mumbai seat for the Congress party. Incidentally, Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray also stays in the same constituency.

Sanjay Dutt has acted in films like Haseena Maan Jayegi produced by Smita Thackeray, Thackeray's daughter-in-law, and is also seen quite often with son Uddhav Thackeray in parties.

Recently he also participated in the yagna conducted for the well being of Bal Thackeray's health on his 77th birthday.

Asked how did he feel when a film hero like Sanjay Dutt campaigned for him, the senior Dutt tried to be modest saying, "The real heroes are my workers. They are always with me in this scorching heat. They campaign with me under hot sun for nearly six hours non-stop everyday. No hero or heroine can match up to the strength of my part workers."