Archive · 8 Sep 2026
Sanjay Dutt’s Marathi Jail Quip Escalates Maharashtra Language Row
Sanjay Dutt made a joke about not learning Marathi while he was in Yerwada Jail.
He made the joke beside Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik at a public celebration in Thane.
Sarnaik had supported a rule asking taxi and autorickshaw drivers to know Marathi.
The rule could affect their permits, but Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis delayed it for a year.
Dutt’s joke made people debate whether the language rule was fair.
Some people enjoyed his humorous response, while others criticized the different treatment of celebrities and workers.
Reports also disagree with Dutt’s description of spending six years in jail.
A former prison official said Dutt first resisted prison rules but later worked well with jail staff.
Sanjay Dutt joked during a Thane Dahi Handi event that he did not learn Marathi despite spending years in Yerwada Jail.
Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik had proposed requiring taxi and autorickshaw drivers to demonstrate functional Marathi knowledge for permits.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis deferred the language requirement by one year amid concerns among Maharashtra’s Hindi-speaking population.
Reports differ on Dutt’s imprisonment: he referred to six years, while records cited by PTI say he served 42 months of a five-year sentence.
Former prison official Swati Sathe said Dutt initially resisted jail rules but later cooperated with staff and helped run a jail radio.
- Who
- Actor Sanjay Dutt, Maharashtra Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, and former prison official Swati Sathe.
- What
- Dutt joked about not learning Marathi in jail, reviving controversy over a proposed Marathi requirement for taxi and autorickshaw drivers.
- When
- The exchange occurred on a Saturday during Gokulashtami celebrations; the proposed driver deadline was August 15, and the policy was later deferred for one year.
- Where
- The public exchange took place in Thane, Maharashtra; the jail account concerns Yerwada Central Jail in Pune.
- Why
- Sarnaik had promoted Marathi-language requirements for operating permits, while critics questioned the policy and its differing impact on workers and public figures.
Language-Rule Supporters
Language-Rule Critics
Driver language requirement
Language-Rule Supporters
Supporters, including Pratap Sarnaik, presented Marathi knowledge as a requirement for taxi and autorickshaw drivers seeking operating permits.
Language-Rule Critics
Critics questioned the strict requirement, particularly because it could threaten working-class drivers’ permits and affect Hindi-speaking residents.
Dutt’s public response
Language-Rule Supporters
Sarnaik encouraged Dutt to address the Marathi-speaking audience in the state’s official language.
Language-Rule Critics
Dutt used humor to challenge the prompt, and many viewers praised his handling of a politically sensitive issue.
Equal enforcement
Language-Rule Supporters
The policy was framed as a general rule for commercial drivers in Maharashtra.
Language-Rule Critics
Some observers argued that strict linguistic mandates appeared to be applied more heavily to ordinary workers than to high-profile public figures.
- Event
- Dahi Handi celebrations organized by Sanskriti Yuva Pratishthan in Thane.
- Language proposal
- Taxi and autorickshaw drivers were expected to possess functional knowledge of Marathi for operating permits.
- Proposed deadline
- Drivers were reportedly required to learn Marathi by August 15.
- Proposed consequence
- Noncompliant drivers could face suspension of their permits.
- Policy status
- Devendra Fadnavis deferred the requirement by one year.
- Dutt’s prison record
- PTI reported that he served 42 months of a five-year sentence and was released on February 25, 2016.
- Jail account
- Swati Sathe said Dutt initially refused the prison uniform, then later developed cordial relations with staff and helped run a jail radio.
