An old video of Sanjay Dutt speaking Marathi has resurfaced online days after the actor avoided speaking the language when he was asked to do so at a Dahi Handi event in Mumbai. The resurfaced clip, in which Dutt appears to converse comfortably with paparazzi in Marathi, has sparked fresh debate on social media.The actor had recently attended an event hosted by Maharashtra Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik, where he was jokingly asked to speak in Marathi. Instead, Dutt responded with a reference to his time in Yerawada Jail, saying he had spent six years there but still did not learn the language.
What the old Sanjay Dutt video shows
The resurfaced footage features Sanjay Dutt casually interacting with paparazzi in Marathi. He appears relaxed while conversing and speaks the language comfortably, prompting social media users to revisit his response at the recent Dahi Handi event.Several users questioned why Dutt chose not to speak Marathi when he was directly invited to do so on stage, given his long association with Mumbai and Maharashtra.One X user wrote, “Omg, he sounds so wholesome. Did you know he spoke it?”Another commented, “Waah, banda 67 years ka hai, and his whole life he has lived in Mumbai/Maharashtra. So this is least expected from him that he wouldn’t know Marathi.”A third user wrote, “He has been in Maharashtra since his school days… He would definitely know it.”
What happened at the Dahi Handi event?
The debate began after Sanjay Dutt appeared alongside Pratap Sarnaik at a Dahi Handi event in Mumbai. During the interaction, Sarnaik addressed the audience in Marathi and said, “Aajkal main sab logon ko Marathi sikha raha hoon (These days, I am teaching everyone Marathi).”Sarnaik then referred to the Maharashtra government’s recent directive requiring autorickshaw drivers in Mumbai to have basic knowledge of Marathi. He subsequently turned his attention to Dutt and suggested that the actor speak in Marathi as well.“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,” Sarnaik said.
Sanjay Dutt responds with a Yerawada Jail joke
Instead of responding in Marathi, Dutt turned the moment into a joke by referring to his years in prison.“Pratap bhai. Main 6 saal jail me raha, Yerawada mein. Tab bhi Marathi nahi seekh paaya. Main thoda seekha tha. (I was in the Yervada Jail for six years, and even there I didn’t learn Marathi. I learnt a little),” Dutt said.He then put his arm around Sarnaik and thanked him for inviting him to the event, with the exchange ending on a light-hearted note amid laughter from the audience.
Resurfaced clip reignites Marathi language debate
The old video has now brought renewed attention to the exchange, with some social media users interpreting Dutt’s response as a deliberate attempt to avoid speaking Marathi, while others may view it simply as a joke made in the moment. The discussion comes against the backdrop of an ongoing debate in Maharashtra over the use of Marathi in public life, including the state transport department’s language-related directive for autorickshaw drivers in Mumbai.
Sanjay Dutt’s work front
Sanjay Dutt was last seen in a cameo appearance in the 2026 Arabic film ‘7 Dogs’, alongside Salman Khan. His previous theatrical release was Abhijeet Mohan Warang’s political drama ‘Aakhri Sawal’, which also starred Namashi Chakraborty, Amit Sadh, Tridha Choudhury and Sameera Reddy.