Suniel Shetty reveals why he rejected a Rs 40 crore tobacco ad; says, 'Money cannot buy my values'

Suniel Shetty reveals why he rejected a Rs 40 crore tobacco ad; says, 'Money cannot buy my values'

• Suniel Shetty rejected a Rs 40 crore tobacco ad to uphold family reputation.
• He values connection over box office and respects over money.
• Shetty credits fitness and discipline for his lasting respect across generations.

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Suniel Shetty has never defined success by box-office numbers alone, and his latest revelations underline why he continues to command respect across generations. In an interview with Peeping Moon, the actor opened up about relevance, grief, self-doubt, discipline, and the unwavering values that have guided his career, both on and off screen.

Suniel was honest about where he stands in the film industry today. “I am not relevant when it comes to cinema or box office,” he admitted. He added that relevance, for him, has evolved into something deeper, how people continue to connect with him, regardless of changing trends.

He revealed that he turned down a Rs 40 crore tobacco endorsement. “I have been offered Rs 40 crore for a tobacco ad,” he revealed. “I looked at him and said, ‘Do you think I will fall for the money? I won’t.’” The reason, he explained, was deeply personal. “I won’t do anything that will leave a blemish on Ahan and Athiya. Now nobody even dares to come to me with such offers.”

“I am not relevant when it comes to cinema or box office, but still 17–18 year olds look up to me. I get so much love and respect, it is unreal,” he added. “For a few crores, will I compromise that? No, I won’t.”

The loss of his father, Veerappa Shetty, in 2017, was a major turning point in his life. Suniel shared that his father’s prolonged illness had already taken an emotional toll on him years before his passing. “Before passing away in 2017, dad was unwell from 2014, and I was looking after him. I was not in a state of mind. I had completely quit,” he said, explaining why he stepped away from films altogether.

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In what he described as an almost surreal moment, Suniel received a work offer on the very morning his father passed away. “However, the same morning I got an offer to do a health show. I saw it as a calling,” he recalled.

Returning to work after a long gap was far from easy. Suniel spoke about the insecurity that crept in during his six-to-seven-year hiatus. “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… I was not comfortable.” It was only after the pandemic, with time to reflect and financial stability, that his mindset began to shift. “Post-pandemic, I started looking at myself differently. I built myself, I started training, reading and doing so many other things,” he said.

That inner work led to a powerful realisation. “I thought I don’t need validation from anyone. God has been kind, Lakshmiji has been kind every time I need her. That gives you a different kind of confidence. That confidence changed everything in me.”

Suniel believes fitness played a crucial role in keeping him relevant even when he wasn’t active in films. “Even though I wasn’t in the limelight or giving blockbusters, the media kept me alive. They showed love,” he said.