But Dutt plays it down and humbly acknowledges the coach’s praise. Sitting from a corner watching the JCT bench practice during the lemon break, it does not come as a surprise when Dutt reveals that if they are playing out of Mumbai, the JCT team members give him a call from the ground itself about their results. The 68-year-old supporter adds: “When they win, they call from the ground itself. If I don’t get a call immediately after the match, I get anxious about the game’s result”.

This fondness for JCT and the game was not cultivated overnight but the film director says, “I played up to college-level in Punjab and wanted to become a professional football player. But as an amateur, I didn’t take care of my injured knee, which worsened and had to leave football.” Later he turned to his hobby_dramatics as a profession and shifted his base to Mumbai.

It was from then on, Dutt remained in touch with his fellow footballers and followed clubs from all over Punjab. He still remembers the early 1960s in Mumbai watching the Rover’s Cup at the Cooperage when the Arjuna Awardee Inder Singh invited him to watch the Leader’s club match against Mohammedan Sporting and says, “There used to be long queue for tickets then but I never paid for my tickets. I always was fortunate enough to get the team’s passes.”

Dutt still remembers that Rover’s Cup semi-final match of Leaders against Mohammedan Sporting and narrates how Guru Kripal Singh, who was nursing a fractured right ankle, turned up for the clash after taking 13 injections. He says, “I still remember the goal that Guru Kripal scored off Inder Singh cross with his wounded right foot.” He smilingly adds, “Mohammedan Sporting used to burst crackers after every goal scored by their team on top of the building opposite the Cooperage ground. And just before the goal scored by Guru Kripal, they were testing the crackers and they burst at the same time as the goal was scored by the Leader’s team. The second goal also came in the same fashion. The entire Cooperage, packed to its capacity burst out with laughter.” It still rings in my ears when I sit opposite to that building watching JCT play. He proudly says, “The next day Nav Bharat times came up with a headline: Langda Gurukripal Singh.”

Having assisted in the 1967 hits like Naunihal, Dutt had shifted attention to advertising films and documentaries but football still held an important place in his life. He says, “There are times when he goes to sleep watching European football on television and gets upset when budding footballers shift focus from football. The close associate of Sukhvinder Singh says, “Sukhi always came as a reserve player, but once he was given a chance in the national side, he never gave anyone another chance after that.” And adds, “He is still enthusiastic to learn and understand his players in detail.” Dutt, who also watches the JCT players practice from the sidelines says, “Sometimes they ask my opinion and I’m always there to assist.”

Over the years he feels that the dedication level has come down among the football players and says in filmi style that players should treat football as passion, just like it is said: “Mohabbat aur shaadi sirf maashuka se honi chahiye. Deewangi itni ho ke sapne bhi unke aaye.”

He also laments the fact by saying, “The game has become very technical and the grace has all gone.”