Sanjay Dutt: No-Peace Remark Was Scripted, Not Personal

Sanjay Dutt has moved quickly to douse a social media controversy after his appearance on Shekhar Suman’s talk show Shekhar Tonite drew sharply mixed reactions. In a video statement on Monday, the actor folded his hands and said the remarks that had travelled widely online were “part of a scripted segment” and did not reflect his personal views.

What was said on the show

The debate began with the Gandhi Jayanti episode. Dutt said he no longer felt “peace” in the country, adding that Indians are large-hearted and hospitable. Then, in his Munna Bhai persona, he performed a political satire bit in which he asked for a fourth monkey alongside Gandhiji’s three monkeys — saying that if someone sees something wrong, who will correct it.

Those clips spread fast. Some viewers were surprised; others strongly disagreed.

Dutt’s explanation

Dutt first addressed the reaction in a post on X a day before the video. There he said it was never his intention to hurt, offend or disrespect anyone. He described the remarks as a scripted conversation intended to be light-hearted and humorous, in the spirit of the Munna Bhai films’ Gandhigiri.

On camera, he went further. “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,” he said. He added that the lines should not be read as “my personal views, thoughts or feelings”.

Why the context got lost

This is a classic case of television satire being clipped for social media. On the full show, the political segment was performed in character; in short clips, that frame disappears. Dutt’s plea is essentially that audiences judge the performance as performance, not as a statement of belief.

• The comments came inside a comedy-satire segment, not a news interview.
• Dutt responded on X first, then on video with folded hands.
• He explicitly said the lines were not his personal opinion.

For Bollywood fans

The moment matters because Dutt’s public identity is so closely tied to Munna Bhai’s Gandhigiri. That made the “fourth monkey” addition feel pointed to some viewers. Dutt clearly wants to keep the film’s warmth — not a political stand — as the takeaway. Shekhar Tonite premiered on May 15, and the Gandhi Jayanti episode is the one that has now put the show in the middle of a national conversation.

On the work front, Dutt’s upcoming slate includes Khalnayak Returns, where he will reprise his role as Ballu.

Source: India Today