In
a
recent
interview,
veteran
actor
Naseeruddin
Shah
called
fellow
actor
Anupam
Kher,
"a
sycophant
and
a
clown
and
someone
who
shouldn't
be
taken
seriously," with
reference
to
Kher's
political
opinions
and
his
stance
on
the
Citizenship
(Amendment)
Act.
Kher
has
not
taken
this
well,
and
has
released
a
video
message,
hitting
back
at
Naseeruddin
with
scathing
remarks.
Sharing
a
video
on
Twitter,
Anupam
Kher
wrote,
"My
message
of
love
to
Janab
Naseeruddin
Shah.
He's
more
experienced
and
older
than
me
and
I
have
always
respected
and
will
always
respect
his
art.
But
sometimes
it's
necessary
to
address
some
issues
head
on.
This
is
my
answer,"
(sic).
In
the
video,
Anupam
Kher
says,
"Janab
Naseeruddin
Shah
Sahab,
I
watched
the
interview
you
gave
about
me.
You
said
that
I
am
clown,
and
should
not
be
taken
seriously;
that
I
am
a
sycophant
and
that
all
of
it
is
in
my
blood.
Thanks
for
these
compliments,
but
I
don't
take
what
you
said
seriously
at
all.
However,
I
never
bad-mouthed
you,
or
said
anything
rude
to
you.
But
now
I
would
like
to
say
that
you
have
spent
your
entire
life,
despite
all
the
success,
in
frustration."
He
continues,
"If
you
can
criticise
Dilip
Kumar,
Amitabh
Bachchan,
Rajesh
Khanna,
Shah
Rukh
Khan,
and
Virat
Kohli,
then
I
am
sure
I
am
in
great
company.
Also,
none
of
these
people
took
your
statements
seriously.
Because
we
know
that
this
is
not
you
talking
but
all
the
substances
you've
consumed
for
years.
They've
clouded
your
judgement
of
what
is
right
and
what
is
wrong.
If
saying
bad
things
about
me
gets
you
headlines
for
a
couple
of
days,
then
this
is
my
gift
to
you."
"May
God
keep
you
happy,
your
well
wisher,
Anupam.
And
do
you
know
what's
in
my
blood?
Hindustan.
Just
understand
this.
Jai
ho," he
signs
off.
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
In
Naseeruddin
Shah's
interview
with
The
Wire,
he
had
been
critical
of
Anupam
Kher
for
his
political
stance,
which
often
comes
off
as
compliant
to
the
ruling
party.
Saying
that
Kher
has
been
vocal
of
his
unquestioning
support
for
the
central
government,
he
dismissed
him
as
a
clown
who
cannot
be
taken
seriously.
He
even
said
that
many
of
Kher's
contemporaries
from
the
National
School
of
Drama
and
the
Film
and
Television
Insitute
of
India
can
attest
to
his
sycophantic
nature,
which
is
in
his
blood.
On
the
other
hand,
Naseeruddin
Shah
was
all
praise
for
actress
Deepika
Padukone
for
showing
solidarity
with
Jawaharlal
Nehru
University
students
and
teachers
after
the
violent
attack
by
a
masked
mob
in
the
premises.