Veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah grabbed eyeballs when he called his A Wednesday co-star Anupam Kher a clown while speaking about the protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act. And now Anupam Kher has given a befitting reply to Shah's jibe at him in his recent interview.
"Someone like Anupam Kher has been very vocal. I don't think he needs to be taken seriously. He's a clown. Any number of his contemporaries from NFD and FTII can attest to his sycophantic nature. It's in his blood, he can't help it," Naseeruddin Shah criticised Anupam Kher, who has been "very vocal" in his support to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its policies, in his interview with The Wire.
While Shah's harsh words towards Kher received mixed response on social media, Kher took to Twitter to reach out to Shah with a video message. While addressing Shah's clown jibe at him, Kher said that if saying about him gives the veteran actor publicity for a couple of days, he would be greatful. He also added that no one has taken Shah's statement seriously.
Anupam Kher blasts Naseeruddin Shah for his clown remark
"I saw the interview you gave about me. Thank you. I don't take you or your opinions seriously. Even though I have never bad-mouthed about you. But now I will say — you have spent your entire life (even after achieving success) in frustration. If you can criticise Dilip Kumar, Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, , Rajesh Khanna, Virat Kohli... then I am sure, I am in great company.
"And no one has taken your statement seriously because we all know that this is not you... but the external substance you have consumed since years... and that is why you can't differentiate between what is right and what is wrong. If by saying bad about me gives you the publicity for 2-3 days, then I wish you this happiness. May god bless you. And do you know what is in my blood? Hindustan. Do understand this," Anupam Kher said in a video statement posted on Twitter.
Watch the video here:
जनाब नसीरुदिन शाह साब के लिए मेरा प्यार भरा पैग़ाम!!! वो मुझसे बड़े है। उम्र में भी और तजुर्बे में भी। मै हमेशा से उनकी कला की इज़्ज़त करता आया हूँ और करता रहूँगा। पर कभी कभी कुछ बातों का दो टूक जवाब देना बहुत ज़रूरी होता। ये है मेरा जवाब। ? pic.twitter.com/M4vb8RjGjj
— Anupam Kher (@AnupamPKher) January 22, 2020