Sanjay Dutt had arrived at a Dahi Handi event in Mumbai.
Amid the ongoing debate over the Marathi language in Maharashtra, actor Sanjay Dutt’s comment about not speaking Marathi has sparked controversy. During a Dahi Handi event in Mumbai on Sunday, he said, “I spent six years in Yerwada Jail, even then I could not learn the Marathi language.”
Pratap Sarnaik asked Sanjay Dutt to speak in Marathi
The event was organised by Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) leader and Maharashtra Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik in Thane. Sanjay Dutt was speaking in Hindi on stage when Sarnaik asked him to speak in Marathi. The 67-year-old actor jokingly refused.
BJP MLA targets minister over the issue
BJP MLA Narendra Mehta criticised Pratap Sarnaik over the incident. He said that auto drivers are being pressured to speak Marathi, raising questions over whether the same pressure is being applied to others.
Sanjay Dutt and Maharashtra Minister Pratap Sarnaik.
Sanjay Dutt jokes about not learning Marathi
Sanjay Dutt and Pratap Sarnaik were standing on stage when the minister joked about teaching everyone Marathi. He said, “Nowadays, I am teaching Marathi to everyone. So I thought, why don’t we have everyone talk to Sanjay Dutt in Marathi? He speaks in Hindi, but we all understand Marathi.”
The comment brought smiles to those present on stage. Sanjay Dutt then took the microphone and first chanted, “Har Har Mahadev.” He jokingly replied, “Pratap bhai, I spent six years in jail, in Yerwada. Even then, I couldn’t learn Marathi. I only learned a little bit.”
BJP MLA targets Shiv Sena minister
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Narendra Mehta raised questions against Pratap Sarnaik over Sanjay Dutt’s statement. Narendra Mehta said, “If an artist does not know Marathi, you laugh at them, but on the other hand, common rickshaw drivers are pressured regarding the Marathi language. What kind of justice is this? Eknath Shinde never let them do anything. A dummy minister is needed there, that is why they are there.”
Man pushes Sanjay Dutt at rally, actor pulls him by the hand
After spending some time on stage, Sanjay Dutt started to leave with his team. He was getting down when a man quickly pushed past him.
Sanjay Dutt did not ignore this and grabbed the person’s hand and pulled him towards himself. As soon as the person saw that it was Sanjay Dutt, he immediately apologized.
Trolled on social media over Marathi language remark
Sanjay Dutt’s refusal to speak in Marathi sparked a discussion on social media. One user wrote, “Only Sanjay Dutt or Salman Khan can refuse a minister like this and still smile.”
Another user said, “The meaning is clear, the mandatory use of the Marathi language is only for the city’s auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers, not for the big people.” Someone else wrote, “Look at the irony, I wish the city’s auto drivers could also say this and avoid heavy fines.”
Some users also criticised Sanjay Dutt for not knowing Marathi. One user wrote, “You have lived in Maharashtra your whole life, yet you don’t know Marathi. This is shameful.”
Sanjay Dutt’s statements that sparked controversies
1. 2009: statement about tada at election rally
During the 2009 Lok Sabha elections, Sanjay Dutt campaigned for the Samajwadi Party. At an election rally in Mau, Uttar Pradesh, he spoke about the action taken against him following the 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts case. While mentioning his father Sunil Dutt and mother Nargis, he said that his mother was Muslim and claimed this was the reason his family was harassed. He also spoke about the action taken against him under TADA.
His remarks sparked controversy, with the Election Commission taking cognisance of the statement. His comments were seen as having a communal context during the election campaign.
2. 2016: called Salman Khan ‘arrogant’
Sanjay Dutt and Salman Khan have shared a long-standing friendship, which made his 2016 comment about the actor particularly noteworthy. When asked to describe Salman in one word during an event, Sanjay called him “arrogant”.
The remark led to speculation about a possible rift between the two. Sanjay later clarified that there was no feud between them.
3. 2026: controversy over ‘Dhurandhar’ dialogue
Sanjay Dutt also faced controversy over a dialogue delivered by his character, SP Chaudhary Aslam, in Dhurandhar. Members of the Baloch community objected to the dialogue, following which the portion was muted in the theatrical release version.
