With a career spanning more than three decades, Suniel Shetty has earned admiration not just for his versatility as an actor but also for his strong moral compass.
In a recent revelation, the actor disclosed that he once turned down a lucrative Rs 40 crore offer to endorse a tobacco product, choosing instead to set the right example for his children, Ahan and Athiya.
Speaking further about the choice, Suniel explained that his personal beliefs and core principles have always shaped both his life and career decisions. In an interview with Peeping Moon, the actor shared that he had consciously resolved early on to never promote tobacco in any form, stressing that certain endorsements simply do not align with the values he wants to stand for, regardless of the financial gain involved.
Shetty said, “I have been offered Rs 40 crore for a tobacco ad. I looked at him and said, ‘Do you think I will fall for the money? I won’t.’ I probably needed that money, but no, I won’t do it. It is something that I don’t believe in. 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.”
The actor also opened up about the passing of his father, Veerappa Shetty, in 2017, which led him to take a break from acting. He shared that his father had been unwell since 2014 and he was personally taking care of him during that time, leaving him mentally unprepared to work. Following his father’s death, he said he had completely stepped away from acting.
He said, “The morning of my father’s death, I got an offer to do a health show. I saw it as a calling, and then I went back to acting and took up a few South films. When you take a gap of 6-7 years, you think that you don’t know your craft, that things have changed, and that nobody knows you, everyone is new, so I was not comfortable.”
Talking about his post-pandemic transformation, Suniel said, “Post-pandemic, I started looking at myself differently. I built myself, I started training, reading and doing so many other things. Then I got so confident about myself that I thought I didn’t need validation from anyone.”