Actor Sanjay Dutt on Sunday issued a clarification over remarks made during a Gandhi Jayanti special appearance on Shekhar Suman’s Shekhar Tonite, saying he had never intended to hurt, offend or disrespect any individual, community or institution.
The clarification came after Dutt’s comments on peace in India and a satirical segment in which he imagined himself as Prime Minister drew attention on social media. The actor said the remarks were made in the context of a scripted conversation intended to be humorous and should be understood in that spirit.
‘Never my intention’
Dutt said it was never his intention to hurt or offend anyone through the programme and maintained that some of his remarks had subsequently been interpreted outside their intended context.
“It was never my intention to hurt, offend or disrespect the sentiments of any individual, community, or institution,” Dutt said in his clarification. He added that the remarks were made as part of a “scripted conversation” intended to be “light-hearted and humorous”.
The actor said he respected the country and its institutions and regretted any misunderstanding caused by the segment.
What sparked the row
The discussion began attracting attention after Dutt spoke about the need for peace in India during the Gandhi Jayanti episode. He said Indians were large-hearted and hospitable people but added that he could no longer feel the same peace in the country.
Dutt then participated in a segment where he was asked to imagine becoming Prime Minister for five minutes. He slipped into the familiar Mumbai street slang associated with his Munna Bhai character and delivered a satirical speech touching on politics, governance and international affairs.
The segment included a joke about remaining in India instead of travelling abroad so that there would be a stronger connection between the Prime Minister and the public. The remarks were widely interpreted as an indirect reference to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, although Dutt did not name him in that portion of the monologue.
Gandhigiri returns
Dutt also drew heavily on Mahatma Gandhi and the “Gandhigiri” philosophy popularised by his 2006 film Lage Raho Munna Bhai. Referring to Gandhi’s three monkeys and the principle of seeing, hearing and speaking no evil, he jokingly suggested that contemporary India needed a “fourth monkey” willing to act when something wrong was witnessed.
He also spoke about the prominence given to photographs of political leaders, suggesting in his imagined role as Prime Minister that he would reduce the number of his own photographs displayed publicly and instead give greater prominence to Gandhi and the country.
Message for Trump
The actor extended the satire to international politics, referring to US President Donald Trump as “Trump mamu” in the style of Munna Bhai. Dutt invoked Gandhigiri while joking about resolving disputes through dialogue, flowers and affection rather than threats and missiles.
The monologue concluded with the actor joking that he would travel to the US to give Trump a “jaadu ki jhappi”, another phrase closely associated with the Munna Bhai films.
Actor stresses context
Dutt’s clarification sought to draw a distinction between his personal views and the exaggerated, fictionalised language used during the entertainment segment. He maintained that the conversation was designed as humour and that interpretations presenting it outside that setting did not reflect its original intent.
The controversy also reflects the scrutiny that follows political satire involving prominent public figures, particularly when comments made in an entertainment format circulate separately as short clips on social media. Dutt has maintained that his remarks should be viewed in the context of the complete conversation and the humorous Munna Bhai persona in which the segment was performed.