Veteran
actor
Naseeruddin
Shah
was
full
of
praise
for
Deepika
Padukone's
courage
for
visiting
the
Jawaharlal
Nehru
University
campus
after
the
violence
on
January
5th.
He
was
also
critical
of
Anupam
Kher
for
never
questioning
the
ruling
party,
calling
him
a
clown
who
doesn't
need
to
be
taken
seriously.
In
an
interview
with
The
Wire,
Naseeruddin
was
asked
if
speaking
out
against
the
government
could
cause
harm
to
the
actor
and
the
film
that
they
are
associated
with.
Naseeruddin
expressed
that
actors
only
think
of
themselves,
otherwise
there
would
be
parity.
Praising
Deepika
for
visiting
the
JNU
campus
after
students
and
faculty
were
assaulted
by
a
masked
mob,
Naseeruddin
said,
"You
have
to
laud
the
courage
of
a
girl
like
Deepika
who
is
in
the
top
firmament
and
yet
takes
a
step
like
this.
Even
if
she
has
a
lot
to
lose," adding,
"Let
us
see
how
she
takes
it.
She'll
lose
a
few
endorsement,
sure.
Will
that
impoverish
her?
Will
that
lessen
her
popularity?
Will
that
make
her
less
beautiful
than
she
is?
They're
gonna
come
around
sooner
or
later.
The
only
god
that
film
industry
worships
is
money."
Being
critical
of
his
A
Wednesday
co-star
Anupam
Kher
who
never
questions
the
government,
Nasseruddin
said,
"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."
In
the
recent
few
weeks,
Bollywood
has
been
divided
over
key
political
issues,
the
Citizenship
Amendment
Act
and
the
violence
that
erupted
in
universities
like
Jamia
Millia
Millia
and
Jawaharlal
Nehru
University.
Some,
like
Anurag
Kashyap,
Zoya
Akhtar,
Taapsee
Pannu,
and
Deepika
Padukone
have
been
compelled
to
take
a
stand
against
what
they
think
is
an
unacceptable
crackdown
by
the
central
government.
Others
like
Anupam
Kher,
Vivek
Ranjan
Agnihotri,
and
Kangana
Ranaut
have
simply
been
critical
of
those
protesting.