Naseeruddin Shah is an Indian actor and director. He works mainly in Hindi cinema. In addition to being an actor, he is also an environmentalist. He has won several awards, including the National Film Award and the Filmfare Award. For his contribution to cinema, the Indian government awarded him the Padma Shri and the Padma Shri.
Wiki/Biography
Naseeruddin Shah was born on July 20, 1949, in a Muslim family in Barabanki, Uttar Pradesh, India (age 74 years as of 2023). He received his primary education at St. Anselm’s Ajmer College, Ajmer, Rajasthan, and St. Joseph’s College, Nainital. At just 14 years old, he began performing in theaters. Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice was his first theatrical performance. For higher education, he attended Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree. Later, he studied at the National School of Drama, New Delhi.
Photos of Naseeruddin Shah as a child
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFA7t8zS2k0
appearance
- Height (approximately): 5′7″
family
Naseeruddin Shah was born to Aley Mohammed Shah and Farrukh Sultan.
Nasiruddin Shah (far left) with his parents and brother
According to Naseeruddin Shah, he had a restrained relationship with his father, which he regretted throughout his life. He explained that his father had a bad temper, which made it difficult for them to communicate. There was a time when he saw that his father was a bad person, and after becoming a father, he decided not to be like him anymore. Nasiruddin Shah also mentioned that his father’s anger made him forget the good side. He admitted that sometimes he unintentionally acted like his father, such as not spending enough time with his children and getting angry. Nasiruddin Shah said in an interview,
I never wanted to treat my children the way my father did. I want my children to embrace me and be free around me. It happens at some point just because somewhere, unintentionally, your habits have become ingrained, not because of genetics, but because of memes. The sound waves and attitudes around you tend to live within you. Reluctantly, I barely spoke to my children. I never hit them, I learned that from my dad. I don’t want my children to be afraid of me. I don’t know how successful I’ve been, but ideally, I’d like this. I am not an ideal father because sometimes my anger gets the best of me. “
Nasiruddin Shah has three brothers; retired. Lieutenant General (Elder) Zameerud-din Shah and two others. His brother Zameerud-din Shah served as a Lieutenant General in the Indian Army and as Vice-Chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University.
Naseeruddin Shah and his brother Zameerud-din Shah wearing hats
He first married the late Parveen Murada aka Manara Sikri on November 1, 1969. At the time, Shah was 19 and Parveen was 34. She is a Pakistani national and is studying at Aligarh Muslim University (AMU).
Naseeruddin Shah and his first wife
However, in the 1970s and 1980s, he fell in love with actress Ratna Pathak. Shah divorced his first wife, Manara Sikri, and married Ratna Pathak on April 1, 1982.
Naseeruddin Shah and second wife Ratna Pathak
Shah has a daughter, Heeba Shah, an actress with his first wife. He has two sons with his second wife; Imad Shah and Viwan Shah. Both of his sons are actors.
Naseeruddin Shah with his wife, son and daughter
Abraham and Ileana were his grandchildren.
Naseeruddin Shah and his grandchildren
Profession
He made his film debut with the film Nishant (1975). Thereafter, he starred in several films; Aakrosh, Mirch Masala, Sparsh, Trikal, Albert Pinto Ko Gussa Kyon Ata Hai, Bhavni Bhavai, Mohan Joshi Hazir Ho!, Junoon, Mandi, Ardh Satya, Katha, etc. In 1977, he formed a theater group called “Motley Production” with Tom Alter and Benjamin Gilani. Their first play was Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot, later staged at the Prithvi Theater in 1979. However, he made his foray into mainstream Bollywood films with the film Hum Paanch.
Naseeruddin Shah works at Hum Paanch
In 1983, his seminal film Masoom was released, which was shot at St. Joseph’s College in Nainital, where he received his education. In the 1980s, he also appeared in several films; Ghulami (1985), Karma (1986), Ijaazat (1987), Jalwa (1988) and Hero Hiralal (1989) and others. In 1988, he filmed a TV series directed by Gulzar based on the life of Mirza Ghalib. In 1994, he starred in his 100th film “Mohra”. In 1999, he received praise for his role in the film Sarfarosh. In 2000, he played the role of Mahatma Gandhi in Kamal Haasan’s critically acclaimed film Hey Ram. In 2003, he co-produced the Hollywood movie “The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen” with the famous Hollywood actor Sean Connery. In 2008, Neeraj Pandey’s film “Wednesday” was released, in which he played an ordinary man. The film was well received and he was nominated for the Filmfare Award for Best Actor. In 2011, he starred in the movie “Dirty Pictures”. He made a cameo appearance in the Pakistani film “Khuda Ke Liye”. His second Pakistani film, Zinda Bhaag, was selected as the country’s official entry for the Best Foreign Language Film award at the 86th Academy Awards. In 2006, he made his film directorial debut with the movie “Yun Hota To Kya Hota”.
dispute
- In a 2016 interview, he made derogatory comments about late actor Rajesh Khanna, calling him a mediocre actor. He further said that bad actors like Rajesh Khanna were responsible for the mediocrity of films in the 1970s. However, he came under severe criticism from Rajesh Khanna’s fans.
- In 2015, Shah traveled to the University of Lahore in Pakistan to promote his memoir “And Then One Day.” While addressing fans at the university, he suddenly started talking about the animosity between India and Pakistan and said: “Indians have been brainwashed into thinking that Pakistan is an enemy country without understanding the historical context. Politicians will do this whenever it suits them Change the color. But artists from both countries must look beyond political hostility.” This statement affected the mood in India and was criticized by many right-wing politicians.
- In 2016, Anupam Kher shared on Twitter a collage of photos of Kashmiri Pandits, who were killed while on the run in 1990. Shah did not like Kher’s tweet and said: “A man who has never lived in Kashmir has started fighting for Kashmir.” Kashmiri Pandits. Suddenly, he became a displaced man. “Khar was outraged by his remarks and replied, “Shah Saab ki Jai Ho. Following this logic, NRIs should not consider India at all. “
- He lashed out at Indian cricketer Virat Kohli and called him the “worst behaved player in the world”. However, this did not go down well with Virat’s fans and he was criticized for it.
- In 2018, he issued a collective statement, “I’m anxious for my children because tomorrow if a mob surrounded them and asked, ‘Are you a Hindu or a Muslim?’ they wouldn’t have an answer. It worries me.” But I don’t think the situation will improve anytime soon.” For this, he was mobbed on social media and his comments were roundly condemned by politicians.
Awards/Achievements
national awards
Naseeruddin Shah meets Padma Shri of APJ Abdul Kalam
national film award
- Best Actor in the Movie “Splash” (1979)
- Best Actor Award for the film “Pal” (1984)
- Best Supporting Actor Award for the Movie “Iqbal” (2006)
Film Audience Award
- Best Actor Award for the film “Aakrosh” (1981)
- Best Actor Award for the film Chakra (1982)
- Best Actor Award for the movie “Masoom” (1984)
- Won the Volpi Cup at the Venice Film Festival for the film “Pal” (1984)
NOTE: In June 2023, he expressed his views on the meaninglessness of competitive honors for Indian actors and stated that he uses the Filmfare Award as a handle for his farmhouse bathroom door. He said,
Any actor who devotes his whole life and efforts to portraying a character is a good actor. Is it fair if you just pick one person out of a bunch and say, “This is the best actor of the year?” I’m not proud of these awards. I didn’t even get to collect the last two awards I got. So, when I built a farmhouse, I decided to put those awards there. Toilet goers will each receive two awards as the handles are made from Filmfare awards. “
Favorites
- Director: Neeraj Pandey, Rajkumar Hirani, Neeraj Ghaywan
- Starring: Mohanlal/Naedumudi Venu/Shammi Kapoor/Dhara Singh/Boman Irani
- Movies: Masaan (2015), Dil Chahta Hai (2001)
Facts/Trivia
- The Shah is a descendant of Jan-Fishan Khan (Sayyid Muhammad Shah), a 19th-century Afghan Sayyid warlord who fought in the First Anglo-Afghan War and aided the British people in the 1857 Indian Rebellion.
- His family actually belongs to Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, India.
- According to Shah, his father wanted him to become a doctor; however, Shah later chose to become an actor. Talking about the incident in an interview, he revealed that his father was disappointed with him for not focusing on his studies, which resulted in him failing the ninth grade exam. Shah recalled that when he expressed his desire to become an actor to his father, he was met with skepticism. His father asked him what his survival prospects would be if he pursued a career in acting.
- In fact, his first film appearance was in the 1967 film Aman, in which he had a brief role as the boy behind the dead doctor. However, this film is not considered his first as he was not in a mainstream role.
- His first film Nishant went on to receive an Oscar nomination.
- One of his fellow actors, Rajendra Jaspal, had stabbed Shah at FTII (Film and Television Institute of India). Jaspal was envious of his success in acting. However, Shah was saved by actor Om Puri.
Early photos of Om Puri and Naseeruddin Shah
- Shah was originally supposed to play the role of Mahatma Gandhi in the 1982 film “Gandhi” directed by British filmmaker Richard Attenborough, but the role was later taken over by Ben Kingsley .
- In 1990, on the sets of Masoom Gawah, Shah started arguing with director MM Baig, and the argument became so intense that the two started fighting.
- After his first marriage, he realized that marriage and fatherhood were becoming obstacles in his life. So he left his wife and daughter and went to London. For the next 12 years, he did not see his daughter. The event reappears in Reel Life; in the film Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, he leaves Farhan Akhtar and his mother in India and settles in Spain. The concept was based on his real-life events and eventually worked as the movie became a box office hit.
- He was reportedly asked to auction off the character of Albus Dumbledore from the Harry Potter films, but he declined.
Albus Dumbledore was later played by Michael Gambon
- His hobbies are playing tennis and reading.
- In March 2022, he spoke about a disorder called simulacra, due to which he often repeats words and phrases in his head. The actor revealed this in an interview with YouTube channel Chalchitra. Explaining his condition, he said:
Onomymia is a disorder in which you repeat a word, a phrase, a sentence, a poem, or an entire speech over and over for no reason. Unless you like to hear it. I do this all the time, so I never fully take a break. Even while sleeping, I review some of my favorite passages. “
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education