Sanjay Dutt Faces Backlash Over India Remark, Says Comments Were Part of a Scripted Conversation

Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt has clarified his controversial remark, “I don’t feel that peace in India anymore,” made during Shekhar Suman’s show Shekhar Tonight. The actor said the comments were part of a scripted and light-hearted conversation and that he never intended to hurt the sentiments of any person, community or institution.
A video from the show went viral on social media, following which the 67-year-old actor faced strong criticism. As the controversy grew, Dutt issued a statement on Sunday explaining the context of his remarks.
“I want to clarify that my intention was never to hurt the sentiments of any individual, community or institution. My comments were part of a scripted and light-hearted conversation,” Dutt said.
The actor further explained that the conversation was intended to convey a message of love, harmony and brotherhood, similar to the “Gandhigiri” approach associated with his popular film character Munna Bhai.
“The intent of the conversation was to spread a message of love, harmony and brotherhood, much like the ‘Gandhigiri’ spirit of the Munna Bhai film. Unfortunately, my words were taken out of context,” he said.
During the show, Dutt appeared in his popular Munna Bhai persona and spoke about what he would do if he became the Prime Minister of the country. He said he would not spend most of his time outside the country, would promote brotherhood and would replace pictures of himself across the country with pictures of Mahatma Gandhi.
The actor’s clarification comes after his remarks triggered a social media backlash, with the video of the conversation drawing widespread attention.