Actor Naseeruddin Shah is known to wear his heart on his sleeve, and he is also one of the outspoken personalities in Bollywood who never shy away from speaking on issues related to the country.
In one of his interviews, he said, “The death of a cow has more significance than that of a police officer, and I feel worried about my children.” Speaking to Karwan-e-Mohabbat India, Naseeruddin Shah expressed concern over the Bulandshahr violence and mentioned that he doesn’t see “the situation improving anytime soon.”
The veteran actor further stated, “There is complete impunity for those who take the law into their own hands. The poison has already spread, and it is difficult to put this jinn back into the bottle.”
In an over two-minute video, Shah also expressed anxiety for his children if they were asked about their religion. “I feel worried about my children. They do not have a religion. I had received religious education as a child. Ratna belongs to a liberal household, so she had received none,” he said.
The actor added, “I feel anxious for my children because tomorrow if a mob surrounds them and asks, ‘Are you a Hindu or a Muslim?’, they will have no answer.”
Shah also said, “I want every right-thinking person to feel angry and not scared. This is our home. Who can dare to evict us from here?” he said.
However, soon after the interview was aired, the actor was called a traitor for his remark, but there were many who praised him for taking up the issue and speaking on it.
Anupam Kher slammed Shah and said, “There is so much freedom in the country that you can abuse the army, badmouth the air chief, and pelt stones at the soldiers. How much more freedom do you need in a country?”
Lt Gen Zameer Uddin Shah, former V-C, AMU, and brother of Naseeruddin Shah said, “I entirely agree with what my brother says. But, I am not afraid. I am disgusted by seeing what is happening in the country.”
“This is not fearmongering at all. This is the dissenting expression of one’s view, and this is not disloyalty,” he added.