Archive · 7 Sep 2026
Sanjay Dutt Jokes About Marathi Request at Maharashtra Event
Sanjay Dutt attended a public Dahi Handi celebration with Maharashtra minister Pratap Sarnaik.
Sarnaik asked him to speak in Marathi.
Sarnaik said he had been teaching people the language.
Dutt replied by joking about spending six years in Yerwada Jail without learning Marathi well.
He said he knew a little Marathi and shared one phrase.
The audience and minister reportedly reacted with laughter.
Videos of the exchange spread online.
The conversation was connected to a rule about Marathi phrases for some Mumbai autorickshaw and taxi drivers.
Reports place the event in either Thane or Mumbai.
Sanjay Dutt was asked by Maharashtra Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik to speak Marathi at a Dahi Handi event.
Dutt jokingly said he had spent six years in Yerwada Jail but still had not learned Marathi fluently.
Dutt said he had learned a little Marathi and recalled the phrase “Tumhe Sarvnaam namaskar.”
The actor said he and Sarnaik had shared a friendship for about 25 years.
The exchange went viral amid controversy over a directive concerning Marathi-language understanding among Mumbai autorickshaw and taxi drivers.
- Who
- Actor Sanjay Dutt and Maharashtra Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik.
- What
- Sarnaik asked Dutt to speak Marathi, and Dutt responded with a joke about not learning the language during his time in Yerwada Jail.
- When
- The event was reported as taking place on September 5; another report described it only as recent.
- Where
- Reports differ, placing the event in Thane and Mumbai.
- Why
- Sarnaik was promoting Marathi and referring to a transport-department directive about language understanding among Mumbai autorickshaw and taxi drivers.
Supporters of Marathi Requirements
Critics and Skeptics
Language expectations for drivers
Supporters of Marathi Requirements
The transport department’s directive was presented as an effort to ensure that Mumbai autorickshaw and taxi drivers understand commonly used Marathi phrases.
Critics and Skeptics
The directive drew controversy and mixed reactions, with one social-media comment asking whether autorickshaw drivers could similarly avoid heavy fines by making jokes about the requirement.
Dutt’s response
Supporters of Marathi Requirements
Sarnaik’s request was framed as a playful effort to encourage Marathi, and the exchange ended with laughter.
Critics and Skeptics
Some social-media users praised Dutt for deflecting the request, with comments describing his response as stylish and suggesting that others might not be able to respond similarly.
- Main figures
- Sanjay Dutt and Pratap Sarnaik
- Event
- Dahi Handi celebration organized by Sanskriti Yuva Pratishthan
- Reported date
- September 5
- Reported locations
- Thane in some reports and Mumbai in another
- Language
- Marathi
- Dutt’s response
- He joked that six years in Yerwada Jail still had not enabled him to learn Marathi fluently
- Related directive
- Mumbai autorickshaw and taxi drivers were reported to need a functional understanding of commonly used Marathi phrases
- Reaction
- The exchange went viral, while reactions to the language directive were mixed
Sources
'6 Saal Jail Bhi Seekh Nahi Paaya': Sanjay Dutt Refuses To Speak In Marathi At Mumbai Event, Leaves Minister Pratap Sarnaik Laughing—VIDEO
Sanjay Dutt responds to minister’s request to speak in Marathi: ‘Jail me nahi seekha’
Here's What Sanjay Dutt Told Maharashtra Transport Minister After He Requested Actor To Speak In Marathi