Sanjay Dutt has taken over the internet after bringing his iconic Munna Bhai persona into the political arena during a recent appearance on Shekhar Suman’s Shekhar Tonite. The actor was asked to imagine himself as the Prime Minister of India for five minutes, which led to a humorous monologue touching on Mahatma Gandhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump.
The Gandhi Jayanti special episode, released on Friday, featured Dutt using the Mumbai slang and mannerisms associated with Munna Bhai. While the segment was largely comic in tone, the actor also spoke about his perception of the current atmosphere in India.
Sanjay Dutt on peace in India
Speaking about the people of the country, Dutt 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.”
Dutt imagines himself as PM
Given a five-minute hypothetical stint as the country’s Prime Minister, Dutt said, “Chalo desh mein kuch to chal rehla hai. Mere pyaare deshwasiyo, aaj apun aapka PM banke khub khush hua. Bole to body mein ajeeb type ka tarang daud re la hai. Bole to itna bada desh hai, itne saare log hain aur ab hum sabki zimmedari apun ke upar.” (My dear countrymen, today I am very happy to have become your PM. There is a strange kind of energy running through my body. This is such a huge country, there are so many people, and now the responsibility of all of them is on me.)
He then joked, “Lekin aap log ekdum tension nahi lene ka. Apun is khushi ko celebrate karne videsh nahi jaane wala hai. Apun idharich rahega, aap sab logon ke beech. Nahi to PM aur janta mein connection kaise banega.” (But you people don’t have to worry at all. I am not going abroad to celebrate this happiness. I will stay right here, among all of you. Otherwise, how will there be a connection between the PM and the people?)
The “fourth monkey” and Gandhi
Dutt then spoke about Mahatma Gandhi, saying, “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?)
He followed it with another joke: “Teeno bandar aankh, kaan, munh band karke baith jayega to desh kaise chalega, saala?” (If all three monkeys sit with their eyes, ears and mouths shut, then how will the country function?)
Dutt’s dig at political photographs
Continuing with his fictional PM agenda, Dutt added, “Aur apun ko desh ke liye bahut kuch karne ka mauka mila hai PM banke, to apun ek aur kaam karega. Jahaan jahaan uska photo laga hai na, apun usko ekdum kam kar dega. Desh ko desh ka photo dikhna chahiye.” (I have got the opportunity to do a lot for the country as a PM, so I will do one more thing. Wherever PM’s photograph has been put up, I will reduce it. The country should see a picture of the country.)
Sanjay Dutt on Trump
The actor then turned to US President Donald Trump. “Aur agar desh ko frame mein laana hai to thoda duniya ko bhi frame mein laana padega na. Bole to apun dekh raha hai ki Trump mamu puri duniya ko out of frame karne mein laga hai.” (And if we want to bring the country into the frame, then we will have to bring the world into the frame too. I can see that Trump mamu is trying to push the whole world out of the frame.)
He added, “Peace banta hai pyaar se aur pyaar aata hai Gandhigiri se. Bole to Trump mamu ko thoda Gandhigiri sikhana padega.” (Peace is created through love, and love comes from Gandhigiri. So Trump mamu will have to learn a little Gandhigiri.)
The entire sequence drew on the Gandhian themes explored in Lage Raho Munna Bhai, the 2006 Rajkumar Hirani film in which Dutt’s Munna Bhai discovers Gandhi’s philosophy and begins applying “Gandhigiri” to everyday situations.
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