Sanjay Dutt has clarified his recent remarks on Shekhar Suman's show Shekhar Tonite, saying the comments were part of a scripted segment and did not reflect his personal views.
The actor shared a video statement after some of his comments from the show drew mixed reactions online. Addressing the controversy, Sanjay Dutt said he understood why some people were surprised or disagreed with what he had said.
"Hello, everyone. Recently, several people on social media have contacted me regarding some things I said on Shekhar Suman's show. Some people said they were surprised by my remarks, while many others strongly disagreed with what I said."
"I completely understand their feelings, and I would like to clarify one thing about this. Whatever I said on the show was part of a scripted segment, as is often the case on television shows of this nature. We were performing according to a script. The things said during that segment were part of that performance and its context," he added.
Sanjay Dutt further stressed that the remarks should not be taken as his personal opinion. He said he did not want the segment to create any misunderstanding about his actual views.
"They were in no way my personal views, thoughts or feelings. I deeply value the trust and affection of my friends and well-wishers. I would never want any misunderstanding about my actual views to arise because of a scripted performance. I hope this clarifies the whole matter in the right context. Jai Hind, Jai Bharat," the actor concluded with folded hands.
Sanjay Dutt's Clarification On X
A day ago, Sanjay Dutt wrote on X, "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."
I would like to clarify that it was never my intention to hurt, offend, or disrespect the sentiments of any individual, community, or institution. 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 (@duttsanjay) October 4, 2026
Background
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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