Actor Sanjay Dutt used his signature irreverent charm to avoid being caught off guard at a recent event in Mumbai. The actor was on stage with Maharashtra Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik on Sunday when the minister asked him to speak in Marathi. But the Bollywood star made a joke at his own expense and quickly deflected the topic.
Sanjay Dutt sidesteps minister’s Marathi request
In videos from the event circulating on social media, Sanjay and Sarnaik can be seen standing on the stage, with other dignitaries behind them. At one point, the minister says, “Aajkal main sab logon ko Marathi sikha raha hoon (These days, I am teaching everyone Marathi).” This was in reference to Sarnaik’s department’s recent ruling that autorickshaw drivers in Mumbai need a functional understanding of Marathi phrases to continue to work in the city. This controversial ruling has ruffled feathers across the city. After a few laughs at that statement, the minister continued in Marathi, “ 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 then takes the mic and responds, “Pratap bhai. Main 6 saal jail me raha, Yervada 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).” The actor then put his arm around Sarnaik, calling him his old friend and brother, and added, “ Main Pratap bhai ka aabhaari hoon ki mujhe yahan bulaye. Hamara rishta bahut purana hai, 25 saal ho gaye hain (I am grateful to Pratap bhai for calling me here. We go way back, almost 25 years).”
{{/usCountry}}Sanjay Dutt then takes the mic and responds, “Pratap bhai. Main 6 saal jail me raha, Yervada 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).” The actor then put his arm around Sarnaik, calling him his old friend and brother, and added, “ Main Pratap bhai ka aabhaari hoon ki mujhe yahan bulaye. Hamara rishta bahut purana hai, 25 saal ho gaye hain (I am grateful to Pratap bhai for calling me here. We go way back, almost 25 years).”
{{/usCountry}}The internet reacts
There were polarising reactions to Sanjay Dutt’s candid admission on stage, with some praising the actor for how he handled the situation. “Only Sanjay Dutt or Salman Khan can defy a minister like this and still smile,” chuckled one. Another added, “He ignored it with style.” Many others pointed out the irony that autorickshaw drivers in the city don’t have this option. “If only autowallahs could say this and avoid heavy fines too.”
Many, however, were disappointed that Sanjay couldn’t speak Marathi despite living in Maharashtra all his life. “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,” read one tweet.
Sanjay Dutt was most recently seen in the Arabic film 7 Dogs in a cameo. In the film, he shared the screen with Salman Khan. The film was a critical and commercial failure.
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