Sanjay Dutt speaks fluent Marathi in old video after saying no to language on stage

A video of Sanjay Dutt speaking in Marathi has surfaced on social media days after the actor was seen brushing aside a request to address an event in the language. The clip has now caught the attention of social media users, with many pointing out that Dutt appears to be comfortable speaking Marathi.

In the video, the actor can be seen interacting with paparazzi and speaking to them in Marathi. The resurfaced clip has prompted several users to question why he chose not to speak the language when he was asked to do so on stage at a recent Mumbai event.

Take a look at the video:

“Omg he sounds so wholesome, did u know he spoke it?” one X user wrote.

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.”

“He has been in Maharashtra since his school days.. He would definitely know it,” another user wrote.

The video emerged after Dutt attended an event in Mumbai on Sunday, where he shared the stage with Maharashtra Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik. During the event, Sarnaik asked the actor to speak in Marathi.

Sarnaik told the audience in Marathi, “Aajkal main sab logon ko Marathi sikha raha hoon (These days, I am teaching everyone Marathi).”

He then referred to the Maharashtra government's recent ruling requiring autorickshaw drivers in Mumbai to have a functional understanding of Marathi phrases. “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.

Dutt responded with a light-hearted remark about his time in Yerawada jail.

“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),” he said.

The actor then put his arm around Sarnaik and thanked him for inviting him to the event. The exchange drew laughter from those present, and Dutt moved on from the language request.

The resurfaced video of the actor speaking Marathi has since added another layer to the episode, with social media users debating whether Dutt's earlier response was simply a joke or whether he could have addressed the gathering in Marathi.

The language issue comes amid a wider debate in Maharashtra after the state transport department's directive concerning Marathi language skills for autorickshaw drivers in Mumbai.

On the work front, Dutt was recently seen in a cameo in the Arabic film 7 Dogs (2026), where he shared screen space with Salman Khan.

His last theatrical release was Abhijeet Mohan Warang's political drama Aakhri Sawal, which also starred Namashi Chakraborty, Amit Sadh, Tridha Choudhury and Sameera Reddy in key roles.