Renowned actor Nana Patekar has entered the ongoing debate sparked by Naseeruddin Shah’s recent comments about films like “Gadar 2,” “The Kashmir Files,” and “The Kerala Story.” Naseeruddin Shah had expressed his concerns about the success of such films, which he believed were selling jingoism.
In response, Nana Patekar offered a different perspective on the matter. According to an ETimes report, he questioned whether anyone had asked Naseeruddin Shah about his own understanding of nationalism. Patekar asserted, “According to me, showing love for the nation is nationalism, and it is not a bad thing.”
Regarding the specific films mentioned by Naseeruddin Shah, Nana Patekar commented, “The kind of film ‘Gadar’ is, it will have that kind of content. I have not seen ‘The Kerala Story,’ so I cannot comment on that.”
Naseeruddin Shah had recently shared his views on the current state of Bollywood filmmaking in an interview with Free Press Journal. He criticized the growing trend of jingoism in films and expressed concern about the popularity of films like “The Kashmir Files.”
He stated, “Now the more jingoist you are, the more popular you become because this is what has been ruling this country. It’s not enough to love your country but beat drums about it and you have to create imaginary enemies. What these people don’t realize is that what they are doing is very harmful.”
He also expressed his admiration for filmmakers like Sudhir Mishra, Anubhav Sinha, and Hansal Mehta, who strive to portray the truth of their times but often struggle to gain the same level of popularity.
In response to Naseeruddin Shah’s remarks, Anil Sharma, the director of “Gadar 2,” said to Aaj Tak that he wants Shah to watch the film and suggested that his opinion might change. Sharma emphasized that his films have always focused on entertainment and not political agendas.