Sanjay Dutt Clarifies Marathi Remark After Call With Minister Sarnaik
Sanjay Dutt called Maharashtra minister Pratap Sarnaik to clarify his remark about not learning Marathi, speaking in the language and apologising for any misunderstanding.
Actor Sanjay Dutt has moved to defuse a row over his remark that he never managed to learn Marathi despite his time in Yerwada jail, with Maharashtra Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik saying the comment was made in jest.
According to Sarnaik's office, Dutt telephoned the minister to clear the air and opened the conversation in Marathi with the greeting "Pratap bhai, Jai Maharashtra". The actor told Sarnaik that he knows the language well and apologised if his words had conveyed the wrong impression. Dutt has not commented on the matter publicly himself.
The original remark was made at a Dahi Handi celebration in Thane organised by Sanskruti Yuva Pratishthan, a body linked to Sarnaik. The event drew several well-known figures, including actor Suniel Shetty and cricketer Suryakumar Yadav, most of whom addressed the gathering in Marathi. Dutt's comment, delivered from the stage, stood out and quickly became a talking point online.
The context made the remark particularly sensitive. Sarnaik is among the prominent faces of a Shiv Sena drive, backed by Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, requiring autorickshaw drivers — many of them migrants from Hindi-speaking states — to learn Marathi. Critics accused the actor of hypocrisy given the setting, and the minister himself came under fire from Marathi-language campaigners, including allies.
BJP MLA Narendra Mehta questioned Sarnaik for laughing along while ordinary people face threats and beatings over the language question. Sarnaik had earlier taken an indirect swipe at Mehta at an event in Mira Bhayandar. The Congress also weighed in, alleging that the Shiv Sena was playing politics with the language issue without taking real steps to promote Marathi.
In his call with Sarnaik, Dutt is said to have described his family as Mumbaikar, recalled growing up in the state and acknowledged how much Maharashtra had given him. He also remembered the support extended by Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray during difficult times.