Manyata Dutt was born to a Muslim family on 22 July 1979 as Dilnashin Shaikh in Mumbai. She was raised in Dubai. She was known as Sara Khan in film industry.^[1] After her launch in Prakash Jha's Gangajal, she was given the screen name Maanayata by Jha^[1] but her aspirations to become a star ended when her father died leaving the responsibility of family business on her.

Manyata got married to one of the biggest stars in India, Sanjay Dutt on February 7, 2008 in a private wedding in Goa.^[5] After two years she became the mother of twins, a boy named Shahraan and a girl named Iqra on 21 October 2010.^[6][7]

Prior to her first marriage and before she met Dutt, Manyata worked in Hindi films. Lovers Like Us, opposite a small-time actor Nimit Vaishnav.^[8] The rights of the film were later purchased by Sanjay Dutt for Rs. 20 lakh.^[8] She had hoped that an item number in Gangaajal would give her career a boost, but then Manyata met Sanjay Dutt and decided to leave her dream of acting.