Actor Sanjay Dutt has found himself in the headlines for his reply to a minister asking him to speak in Marathi. At a recent event in Mumbai, Sanjay Dutt shared the stage with Maharashtra Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik, who asked the actor to speak in Marathi. Sarnaik joked that he had been teaching people Marathi and said he wanted Dutt to speak the language as well. The actor responded with his trademark humour and videos from the event are trending on social media.

At one point during the interaction, Maharashtra Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik said, “Aajkal main sab logon ko Marathi sikha raha hoon” (These days, I am teaching everyone Marathi). His comment referred to his department’s recent ruling that autorickshaw drivers in Mumbai must have a functional understanding of Marathi phrases to continue working in the city. The decision has sparked controversy and led to mixed reactions across Mumbai. After the audience laughed at his remark, Sarnaik continued in Marathi, explaining, “So I thought after his entry, let us all get Sanjay Dutt to talk in Marathi. He speaks in Hindi, but all of us understand Marathi.”

Sanjay Dutt responded, “Pratap bhai. Main 6 saal jail me raha, Yervada mein. Tab bhi Marathi nahi seekh paaya. Main thoda seekha tha (I stayed in Yervada jail for 6 years, I couldn’t learn Marathi. Learnt it a little).” He then thanked Sarnaik for inviting him and highlighted their long-standing friendship, saying they have known each other for around 25 years.

Sanjay Dutt has been living in Mumbai for more than 50 years, and he himself says that even after spending 6 years in Yerwada Jail, he still couldn’t learn Marathi.

And he openly admitted this in front of everyone, without any shame. So now, will MNS and Uddhav Thackeray’s party… pic.twitter.com/kLQ7AxZfBa

— Amit Kumar Sindhi (@AMIT_GUJJU) September 6, 2026

The exchange has since sparked mixed reactions online. While some social media users praised Sanjay Dutt for handling the situation with humour, others questioned why the actor could not speak Marathi despite having spent most of his life in Maharashtra.

Reacting to the clip, an X user wrote, “Sanjay Dutt has been living in Mumbai for more than 50 years, and he himself says that even after spending 6 years in Yerwada Jail, he still couldn’t learn Marathi. And he openly admitted this in front of everyone, without any shame. So now, will MNS and Uddhav Thackeray’s party also beat up Sanjay Dutt the way they target taxi drivers, auto drivers and street vendors? I know they don’t have the guts to do that, because MNS and Uddhav’s party only seem to find their courage when it comes to targeting poor people. Whenever a rich or powerful person, or someone from a minority community, is in front of them, they simply back off.”

While another added, ““Marathi pride 🔥”… but only if you’re a taxi driver, auto-wallah or street vendor with no bodyguards and no film-industry connections. Sanjay Dutt lives in Mumbai for 50+ years, openly admits he still can’t speak Marathi even after 6 years in jail.”

Some fans also praised the actor for how he handled the situation and posted, “Only Sanjay Dutt or Salman Khan can defy a minister like this and still smile.”

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Sanjay Dutt was seen as the real-life-inspired police officer SP Chaudhary Aslam in the film Dhurandhar: The Revenge. The ace actor was most recently seen in the Arabic film 7 Dogs in a cameo. In the film, he shared the screen with Salman Khan.