In a recent interview, actor and TV show host Shekhar Suman dismissed the suggestions that the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) raid on the producer of his satirical show Shekhar Tonite was because of its political commentary. The actor also went on to say that he doesn’t think Prime Minister Narendra Modi is so powerless that he will put pressure on him over such a small show.
In a conversation with The Lallantop, Suman said, “I don’t think Modi is so weak that people in his government would call me over such a small show. He’s a very powerful man, and I think he has much bigger things to worry about. There are other sorrows in the world besides Shekhar Tonite.”
Shekhar also talked about the scepticism people had about the show when it first appeared on YouTube. According to him, many viewers commented that it would not make it to a second episode.
“Why wouldn’t there be? Who would stop it? Why would Modi stop it?” he said.
The actor said he was initially nervous when calls came in from BJP politicians, wondering whether they were complaints about the show. Instead, he said, the calls were to express appreciation, with some politicians even visiting his home.
Suman rejected the idea that Shekhar Tonite was particularly critical of the BJP. He compared the show with his earlier television shows, Movers & Shakers, where he poked fun at former prime ministers Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Manmohan Singh.
Speaking about Shekhar Tonite he said, “It’s not anti-anyone. It’s pro-people.”
In a June episode, Shekhar, in his opening monologue of the show, told the story of an arrogant king who smashed a magical mirror because it showed him his faults. The king’s courtiers then introduced a rule: “Anyone who shows a mirror is an enemy, and anyone who asks questions is a traitor.”
He eventually revealed that the king was US President Donald Trump. However, many viewers interpreted the monologue as a reference to Modi. The Congress also shared the clip on its official social media account, asking who the king was.
On July 9, the ED, under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), raided the premises of Kalanee Impex Private Limited, linked to the show’s producer Dharmesh Sangani.
According to officials quoted by media reports, the raid was part of an investigation into alleged foreign exchange violations involving his company.
Shekhar said he did not know why the ED had conducted the searches and had not asked Dharmesh about the reason. He acknowledged that people might look at the timing and “add two and two”, but pointed out that Dharmesh was an independent businessman with other commercial interests.
Shekhar also said Dharmesh had called him after the searches and urged him to continue making the show.
“Don’t stop. Keep doing your show. I’m always with you. Don’t be scared,” Shekhar recalled him saying.
Also recently, Sanjay Dutt had come on the Gandhi Jayanti episode of the show and had spoken about the condition of the country. “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,” he had said.
He had also put up a satirical act on the show, where he played his iconic character Munna Bhai giving a speech as the PM of the country. He even joked about the prominent use of the PM Modi’s photos in public and government communication.
Later, after receiving a lot of online backlash, Sanjay had to ultimately apologise for his comments. “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,” he wrote on X. “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.”