Suniel Shetty on turning down huge tobacco deal: ‘I won’t compromise my values for money’

Bollywood actor Suniel Shetty recently reflected on his career, personal loss, and value system during a candid interaction with Peeping Moon. The actor said he no longer measures relevance through box office success. Instead, he believes relevance comes from staying disciplined, authentic, and connected with people across generations, even if that visibility does not translate into conventional stardom today.

Suniel spoke about a difficult phase following the death of his father, Veerappa Shetty, in 2017. He shared that his father had been unwell since 2014, and caregiving consumed him emotionally. “I was not in a state of mind. I had completely quit,” he said, explaining why he stepped away from acting during that period.

He recalled receiving a professional offer on the morning his father passed away. “However, the same morning I got an offer to do a health show. I saw it as a calling,” Suniel said. The moment pushed him back towards work when he felt emotionally empty and uncertain about returning to public life.

After being away from films for nearly seven years, Suniel admitted he struggled with confidence. “When you take a gap of 6–7 years, you think that you don’t know your craft, that things have changed, that nobody knows you,” he said, adding that the industry felt unfamiliar and intimidating initially.

Post pandemic, he began rebuilding himself mentally and physically. “Post-pandemic, I started looking at myself differently. I built myself, I started training, reading and doing so many other things,” he said. That phase led him to realise he no longer needed external validation to feel secure.

One of the strongest moments from the interview was his decision to reject a Rs 40 crore tobacco endorsement. “I have been offered Rs 40 crore for a tobacco ad,” he said. “Do you think I will fall for the money? I won’t.” He explained that protecting the example he sets for his children, Ahan and Athiya, mattered more than any financial gain.