Sanjay Dutt faces backlash over ‘can’t feel peace in India’ remark, video goes viral. Actor explains what he meant: ‘I would like to clarify…’

Sanjay Dutt has found himself at the centre of a social media discussion after a video from his recent appearance on Shekhar Suman’s talk show Shekhar Tonite went viral. During the conversation, the actor spoke about India, its people and the atmosphere in the country, saying that he no longer feels the same sense of peace. His comments soon grabbed headlines and reactions online.

The actor appeared on the show on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti and spoke about the qualities he associates with Indians. While praising the country's people for being warm and welcoming, he also expressed concern about the current atmosphere and said he hoped the sense of peace he remembers would return.

What did Sanjay Dutt say about peace in India?

During his conversation with Shekhar Suman, the actor said, "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."


However, he also said that he feels the country is missing a certain sense of peace at present.



The remark quickly became the focus of online discussions after a clip from the conversation circulated on social media. Some users interpreted the comment as criticism of the current state of the country, while others viewed it as the actor expressing a personal wish for greater peace and harmony.

Sanjay Dutt clarifies his ‘peace’ remark

Following the reactions, the Munna Bhai MBBS actor took to X (formerly Twitter) to clarify his remark and 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."



"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," he further added.

Sanjay Dutt turns Munna Bhai into a fictional PM

The comments about peace came during a larger segment in which Sanjay Dutt brought his popular Munna Bhai character into a political satire. On the show, he imagined himself becoming India's Prime Minister for five minutes and delivered a fictional address in the familiar style of the character.

During the humorous speech, he brought up Mahatma Gandhi's famous three monkeys, which traditionally represent the idea of not seeing, hearing or speaking evil.

He then suggested that the country needed a fourth monkey in today's time. In his fictional speech, Dutt said, "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?)"

Shekhar Suman shares video from the show

Shekhar Suman later shared a clip from Sanjay Dutt's appearance on Instagram. The video brought the actor's comments and his fictional political speech to a wider audience, after which his remarks about peace in India began attracting further attention.

Shekhar Tonite is a talk show hosted by Suman that features guests from different fields, including films, politics, music, sports, business and culture. The show focuses on candid conversations that can move between humour, emotion and satire. It premiered on May 15.

On the work front, Dutt recently expanded his acting career into the Saudi Arabian film industry with 7 Dogs. The actor appeared in a cameo in the film alongside his friend and Bollywood star Salman Khan.

In Bollywood, he was last seen in Aakhiri Sawal, directed by Abhijeet Mohan Warang. The film also featured Namashi Chakraborty, Amit Sadh and Sameera Reddy in key roles. It released in May but had an average run at the box office.