- Sanjay Dutt clarified his remarks on Shekhar Tonite were meant to be light-hearted and humorous
- He stated his comments were inspired by Munna Bhai films promoting love and goodwill
- Dutt's comments sparked controversy due to misinterpretation outside the intended context
Sanjay Dutt has clarified his remarks made during his appearance on Shekhar Suman's talk show Shekhar Tonite.
Taking to X, Sanjay wrote, "I would like to clarify that it was never my intention to hurt, offend, or disrespect the sentiments of any individual, community, or institution."
He added, "My remarks were made in the context of a scripted conversation intended to be light-hearted and humorous. The spirit behind them was similar to the humour and satire seen in films like Munna Bhai, particularly the concept of 'Gandhigiri,' which was intended to convey a message of love, warmth, togetherness, and goodwill. Unfortunately, my words were interpreted outside of that intended context."
Sanjay Dutt appeared on Shekhar Tonite on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti, where he spoke about the current state of the country and said that he no longer feels "peace" in the nation.
"The people of this country are so lovely. There should be peace here. I can't feel that peace in our country anymore. We Indians are large-hearted people, and we are hospitable. We have given so much, and we should always remain that way. I pray to Shivji that those days come back soon," said Sanjay Dutt.
During the conversation, Sanjay also brought his iconic Munna Bhai character into a political satire. He humorously imagined himself as the Prime Minister of India for five minutes and delivered a fictional address to the nation in his signature Munna Bhai style.
"Apun Gandhi ji ko bahut maanta hai. Aur Gandhi ji ke teen bandar sabko pata hai, bura mat dekho, bura mat suno, bura mat kaho. Lekin aaj ek chautha bandar bhi mangta hai. Bura dekhega to use theek kaun karega? (I really believe in Gandhi ji. Everyone knows his three monkeys - don't see evil, don't hear evil, don't speak evil. But today I want a fourth monkey too. If someone sees something wrong, who will correct it?)," said Sanjay Dutt.
His comments subsequently sparked an online controversy and debate, with parts of the conversation being interpreted differently from the context in which they were made.
Shekhar Tonite is a talk show hosted by Shekhar Suman that premiered on May 15.
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