Naseeruddin Shah (born 20 July 1950) is an Indian actor. He is notable in Indian
parallel cinema
Parallel cinema, or New Indian Cinema, is a film movement in Indian cinema that originated in the state of West Bengal in the 1950s as an alternative to the mainstream commercial Indian cinema.
Inspired by Italian Neorealism, Parallel Cinema ...
. He has also starred in international productions. He has won numerous awards in his career, including three
National Film Awards
The National Film Awards is the most prominent film award ceremony in India. Established in 1954, it has been administered, along with the International Film Festival of India and the Indian Panorama, by the Indian government's Directorat ...
, three
Filmfare Awards
The Filmfare Awards are annual awards that honour artistic and technical excellence in the Hindi-language film industry of India.Al The Filmfare ceremony is one of the most famous film events in India. The awards were first introduced by th ...
and the
Volpi Cup for Best Actor
The Volpi Cup for Best Actor ( it, Coppa Volpi per la migliore interpretazione maschile) is the principal award given to actors at the Venice Film Festival and is named in honor of Count Giuseppe Volpi di Misurata, the founder of the Venice Film ...
at the
Venice Film Festival
The Venice Film Festival or Venice International Film Festival ( it, Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica della Biennale di Venezia, "International Exhibition of Cinematographic Art of the Venice Biennale") is an annual film festival he ...
. The
Government of India
The Government of India (ISO: ; often abbreviated as GoI), known as the Union Government or Central Government but often simply as the Centre, is the national government of the Republic of India, a federal democracy located in South Asia, c ...
honoured him with the
Padma Shri
Padma Shri (IAST: ''padma śrī''), also spelled Padma Shree, is the fourth-highest Indian honours system, civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan. Instituted on 2 January 1954, ...
and the
Padma Bhushan
The Padma Bhushan is the third-highest civilian award in the Republic of India, preceded by the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan and followed by the Padma Shri. Instituted on 2 January 1954, the award is given for "distinguished service ...
awards for his contributions to Indian cinema.
Early life
Naseeruddin Shah was born on 20 July 1950 in
Barabanki
Barabanki is a city and a municipal board in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is administrative headquarters of Barabanki district. The city is about 30 km east of Lucknow, the state capital. It has a population of 146,831 with a dens ...
town,
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh (; , 'Northern Province') is a state in northern India. With over 200 million inhabitants, it is the most populated state in India as well as the most populous country subdivision in the world. It was established in 1950 ...
, into a
Nawab
Nawab (Balochi language, Balochi: نواب; ar, نواب;
bn, নবাব/নওয়াব;
hi, नवाब;
Punjabi language, Punjabi : ਨਵਾਬ;
Persian language, Persian,
Punjabi language, Punjabi ,
Sindhi language, Sindhi,
Urd ...
family.
Shah did his schooling at
St. Anselm's Ajmer and
St Joseph's College, Nainital
St. Joseph's College, Nainital is a day boarding and residential school in Nainital, Kumaon, India, providing private school education.
Overview
St Joseph's college was established in 1888. The site was previously the location of a seminary, r ...
. He graduated in arts from
Aligarh Muslim University
Aligarh Muslim University (abbreviated as AMU) is a Public University, public Central University (India), central university in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, India, which was originally established by Sir Syed Ahmad Khan as the Muhammadan Anglo-Orie ...
in 1971 and attended
National School of Drama
National School of Drama (NSD) is a theatre training institute situated at New Delhi, India. It is an autonomous organization under Ministry of Culture, Government of India. It was set up in 1959 by the Sangeet Natak Akademi and became an indepe ...
in Delhi.
His elder brother, Lt. General
Zameerud-din Shah
Lieutenant General Zameer Uddin Shah, PVSM, SM, VSM is a retired senior General of the Indian Army. He last served as the Deputy Chief of Army Staff (Personnel & Systems), Indian Army. After retirement, he served for some time as an administ ...
(Retd.) PVSM, SM, VSM, was
Vice-Chancellor
A chancellor is a leader of a college or university, usually either the executive or ceremonial head of the university or of a university campus within a university system.
In most Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth and former Commonwealth n ...
of
Aligarh Muslim University
Aligarh Muslim University (abbreviated as AMU) is a Public University, public Central University (India), central university in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, India, which was originally established by Sir Syed Ahmad Khan as the Muhammadan Anglo-Orie ...
.
Career
Shah has acted in movies such as ''
Nishant'', ''
Aakrosh'', ''
Sparsh'', ''
Mirch Masala
''Mirch Masala'' (Translation: Hot Spice) is a 1987 Hindi psychological thriller film directed by Ketan Mehta. It stars Naseeruddin Shah and Smita Patil in the lead roles. On the centenary of Indian cinema in April 2013, ''Forbes'' included Smita ...
'', ''
Albert Pinto Ko Gussa Kyon Ata Hai
''Albert Pinto Ko Gussa Kyoon Aata Hai'' () is a 1980 Indian Hindi-language drama film directed and written by Saeed Akhtar Mirza. The film starred Naseeruddin Shah, Shabana Azmi and Smita Patil in the lead roles.
It won the 1981 Filmfare Criti ...
'', ''
Trikal
Trikal (Past, Present and Future) is a 1985 Indian movie written and directed by Shyam Benegal, set in Goa during the twilight of Portuguese rule, It marked the return of Leela Naidu in her first film appearance since 1969.
The film was sele ...
'', ''
Bhavni Bhavai
''Bhavni Bhavai'' ( gu, ભવની ભવાઈ; ''The Tale of the Life'') is a 1980 Gujarati film directed by Ketan Mehta, starring Naseeruddin Shah, Om Puri, Smita Patil, Mohan Gokhale, Benjamin Gilani. It tells the story of untouchability ...
'', ''
Junoon'', ''
Mandi
Mandi may refer to:
Places
* Mandı, Azerbaijan
India
* Mandi, Jammu and Kashmir, a town on the Mandi River in the Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir
* Mandi, Himachal Pradesh, a city in Himachal Pradesh
** Mandi State, former princely sta ...
'', ''
Mohan Joshi Hazir Ho!
''Mohan Joshi Hazir Ho!'' () is a 1984 Hindi art film, made by Saeed Akhtar Mirza, based on his own story, during the Parallel Cinema period of Indian cinema.
The film is a comic satire on a judicial system, where cases drag on for decades, whe ...
'', ''
Ardh Satya
''Ardh Satya'' () is a 1983 film directed by Govind Nihalani, his second offering after another angst-ridden movie '' Aakrosh'' (1980). The screenplay of both movies was by Vijay Tendulkar, the noted Marathi playwright; this one was based on the ...
'', ''
Katha'', and ''
Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro
''Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro'' () is a 1983 Indian Hindi-language satirical black comedy film directed by Kundan Shah and produced by NFDC. It is a dark satire on the rampant corruption in Indian politics, bureaucracy, news media and business, and st ...
''. He made his debut with a small role in film Aman (1967) starring
Rajendra Kumar
Rajendra Kumar Tuli (20 July 1927 – 12 July 1999) was an Indian actor who starred in Bollywood films. Starting his career in 1949, he appeared in more than 80 films in a career spanning over four decades. He was popularly known as the 'Jubil ...
and
Saira Banu
Saira Banu (born 23 August 1944) is a former Indian actress who mainly worked in Hindi language films. She was one of the most popular actresses in her heyday in the Indian film industry in the 1960s and early 1970s.
Career
Saira Banu was the ...
.
Shah became active in mainstream
Bollywood
Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, refers to the film industry based in Mumbai, engaged in production of motion pictures in Hindi language. The popular term Bollywood, is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (fo ...
cinema with the 1980 film ''
Hum Paanch''. In 1982, he acted in the film ''Dil Aakhir Dil Hai'' directed by Ismail Shroff, opposite
Rakhee
''Rakhi'' or ''Rakhee'' is a 2006 Indian Telugu-language masala film directed by Krishna Vamsi and starring Jr. NTR, Ileana D'Cruz and Charmme Kaur. Suhasini, Sarath Babu, Chandra Mohan, Brahmaji, Kota Srinivasa Rao, Saranya Ponvannan, Brahm ...
. One of his most important films, ''
Masoom'', was released in 1983 and was shot at
St Joseph's College, Nainital
St. Joseph's College, Nainital is a day boarding and residential school in Nainital, Kumaon, India, providing private school education.
Overview
St Joseph's college was established in 1888. The site was previously the location of a seminary, r ...
. His next major success in mainstream films was the 1986 multi-star film ''
Karma
Karma (; sa, कर्म}, ; pi, kamma, italic=yes) in Sanskrit means an action, work, or deed, and its effect or consequences. In Indian religions, the term more specifically refers to a principle of cause and effect, often descriptivel ...
'' where he acted alongside veteran
Dilip Kumar
Mohammed Yusuf Khan (; 11 December 1922 – 7 July 2021), better known by his stage name Dilip Kumar, was an Indian actor who worked in Hindi cinema. Credited with pioneering method acting in cinema, he dominated the Indian movie scene from ...
. Starring roles for films such as ''
Ijaazat
''Ijaazat'' () is an 1987 Indian Hindi-language musical romance film directed by Gulzar, based on a Bengali story, ''Jatugriha'' by Subodh Ghosh. Starring Rekha, Naseeruddin Shah and Anuradha Patel in leading roles, the film followed the story ...
'' (1987), ''
Jalwa
''Jalwa'' is a 1987 Indian Hindi-language action film directed by Pankaj Parashar and produced by Gul Anand. The film stars Naseeruddin Shah and Archana Puran Singh in the title roles. The film is set in Goa, where it was mostly shot. The film ...
'' (1988) and ''
Hero Hiralal
''Hero Hiralal'' is a 1988 Indian film directed by Ketan Mehta, starring Naseeruddin Shah and Sanjana Kapoor in leading roles. It is a movie about an auto rickshaw driver who falls in love with a film actress. The movie showcased performances b ...
'' (1989) followed. In 1988, he played opposite his wife
Ratna Pathak
Ratna Pathak Shah (born 18 March 1957) is an Indian actress and director known for her work in Hindi theatre, television, and films. Her extensive work in theatre includes a series of plays in both English and Hindi. She rose to prominence when ...
as
Inspector Ghote
Inspector Ganesh Ghote (pronounced "GO-tay") is a fictional police officer who is the main character in H. R. F. Keating's detective novels. Ghote is an inspector in the police force of Bombay (a.k.a. Mumbai), India.
Overview
Ghote first appe ...
, the fictional detective of
H. R. F. Keating's novels in the
Merchant Ivory
A merchant is a person who trades in commodities produced by other people, especially one who trades with foreign countries. Historically, a merchant is anyone who is involved in business or trade. Merchants have operated for as long as indust ...
English language film ''
The Perfect Murder''. He acted with
Aditya Pancholi
Aditya Pancholi (born 4 January 1965) is an Indian actor, producer and playback singer working in Hindi cinema.
Acting career
1985–87: Television movies and serials
He was signed for a few television video films produced by Hiba, which ...
in films like ''
Maalamaal'' (1988) and ''Game'' (1993).
He has acted in several multi-star Bollywood films as well, such as ''
Ghulami
''Ghulami'' () is a 1985 Indian Hindi-language action drama film directed by J. P. Dutta (in his directorial debut). The film has an ensemble cast comprising Dharmendra, Mithun Chakraborty, Mazhar Khan, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Raza Murad, Reen ...
'' (1985), ''
Tridev
''Tridev'' () is a 1989 Indian action thriller film directed by Rajiv Rai. It stars Sunny Deol, Naseeruddin Shah, Jackie Shroff, Madhuri Dixit, Sangeeta Bijlani, Sonam, Anupam Kher and Amrish Puri.
The film was critically and commercial ...
'' (1989) and ''
Vishwatma
''Vishwatma'' is a 1992 Indian Hindi-language thriller film directed by Rajiv Rai and produced by Gulshan Rai. It stars an ensemble cast of Sunny Deol, Naseeruddin Shah, Chunky Pandey, Divya Bharti (in her major Hindi debut), Sonam, Jyostna ...
'' (1992). In 1994, he acted as the
villain
A villain (also known as a "black hat" or "bad guy"; the feminine form is villainess) is a stock character, whether based on a historical narrative or one of literary fiction. ''Random House Unabridged Dictionary'' defines such a character a ...
in ''
Mohra
''Mohra'' () is a 1994 Indian Hindi-language action thriller film co-written, edited and directed by Rajiv Rai and produced by his father Gulshan Rai. It stars Akshay Kumar, Sunil Shetty, Raveena Tandon in the lead roles, along with Naseeruddin ...
'', his 100th film as an actor. He forayed into
Malayalam cinema
Malayalam cinema is an Indian film industry of Malayalam-language motion pictures. It is based in Kochi, Kerala, India. The films produced in Malayalam cinema are known for their cinematography and story-driven plots. In 1982, ''Elippathayam' ...
the same year, through
T. V. Chandran's drama ''
Ponthan Mada
''Ponthan Mada'' is a 1994 Indian Malayalam-language film written and directed by T. V. Chandran. The film stars Mammootty and Naseeruddin Shah. It is based on two short stories, ''Ponthan Mada'' and ''Sheema Thampuran'' by C. V. Sreeraman. Th ...
''. The film portrayed the irrational bonding of a feudal serf (played by
Mammootty
Muhammad Kutty Panaparambil Ismail (; born 7 September 1951), known mononymously by the hypocorism Mammootty (), is an Indian actor and film producer who works predominantly in Malayalam cinema, Malayalam films. He has also appeared in Tamil l ...
) and a colonial landlord (played by Shah). He strongly believed that the distinction between art and commercial films had largely reduced, especially with the directors of the former also making commercial films. In 2000, Shah played
Mahatma Gandhi
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (; ; 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948), popularly known as Mahatma Gandhi, was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist Quote: "... marks Gandhi as a hybrid cosmopolitan figure who transformed ... anti- ...
in
Kamal Haasan
Kamal Haasan (born 7 November 1954) is an Indian actor, filmmaker, screenwriter, playback singer, television presenter and politician who works mainly in Tamil cinema and has also appeared in some Telugu, Malayalam, Hindi, Kannada and Bengali l ...
's ''
Hey Ram
''Hey Ram'' is a 2000 Indian period crime drama film written, directed and produced by Kamal Haasan, who also stars. It was simultaneously made in Tamil and Hindi languages. Shah Rukh Khan plays a supporting role, making his debut in Tamil ci ...
'' which focused on the assassination of Gandhi from
the assailant's point of view.
Shah played Mohit, the drunken coach to a deaf and mute boy in ''
Iqbal Iqbal, Eqbal, Ikbal, or Eghbal may refer to:
Geography Iran
* ''Eqbal, Iran'', a village in West Azerbaijan Province
*''Eqbaliyeh'', rural district in Iran
* ''Eqbal-e Gharbi Rural District'', western provincial district in Qazvin, Iran
* ''Eqbal- ...
''. Shah was noted for his roles in the 1999
Aamir Khan
Mohammed Aamir Hussain Khan (; born 14 March 1965) is an Indian actor, film director and producer who works in Hindi films. Through his career spanning over 30 years, Khan has established himself as one of the most notable actors of Indian ci ...
-starrer ''
Sarfarosh
''Sarfarosh'' () is a 1999 Indian action drama film written, produced and directed by John Matthew Matthan and starring Aamir Khan, Naseeruddin Shah, Sonali Bendre and Mukesh Rishi. John started working on ''Sarfarosh'' in 1992. Seven years ...
'', where he played Gulfam Hassan – a ''
ghazal
The ''ghazal'' ( ar, غَزَل, bn, গজল, Hindi-Urdu: /, fa, غزل, az, qəzəl, tr, gazel, tm, gazal, uz, gʻazal, gu, ગઝલ) is a form of amatory poem or ode, originating in Arabic poetry. A ghazal may be understood as a ...
'' singer-cum-terrorist mastermind — and in
Neeraj Pandey
Neeraj Pandey (born 17 December 1973) is an Indian film director, producer and screenwriter who works in Hindi cinema. Pandey was made his directoral debut in ''A Wednesday!'', which was largely praised by critics and which later became a recip ...
's ''
A Wednesday
''A Wednesday!'' is a 2008 Indian Hindi-language thriller film written and directed by Neeraj Pandey and produced by Ronnie Screwvala, Anjum Rizvi and Shital Bhatia under UTV Motion Pictures and Friday Filmworks. Though a work of fiction, the s ...
'' (2008).
Shah has also starred in international projects, such as ''
Monsoon Wedding
''Monsoon Wedding'' is a 2001 Indian comedy-drama film directed by Mira Nair and written by Sabrina Dhawan. The film stars Naseeruddin Shah, Lillete Dubey, Shefali Shah and Vasundhara Das. The story depicts romantic entanglements during a tradi ...
'' in 2001 and a Hollywood adaptation of ''
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen
''The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen'' (''LoEG'') is a comic book series (inspired by the 1960 British film ''The League of Gentlemen'') co-created by writer Alan Moore and artist Kevin O'Neill which began in 1999. The series spans four volum ...
'' in 2003 (co-starring
Sean Connery
Sir Sean Connery (born Thomas Connery; 25 August 1930 – 31 October 2020) was a Scottish actor. He was the first actor to portray fictional British secret agent James Bond on film, starring in seven Bond films between 1962 and 1983. Origina ...
), where he played
Captain Nemo
Captain Nemo (; later identified as an Indian, Prince Dakkar) is a fictional character created by the French novelist Jules Verne (1828–1905). Nemo appears in two of Verne's science-fiction classics, ''Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas'' ( ...
. His portrayal of Nemo was very close to the design of the graphic novel, although his Nemo was far less manic. He worked in
Vishal Bhardwaj
Vishal Bhardwaj (born 4 August 1965) is an Indian film director, screenwriter, producer, music composer and playback singer. He is known for his work in Hindi cinema, and is the recipient of seven National Film Awards and a Filmfare Award.
Bha ...
's Indian adaptation of
Shakespeare
William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...
's ''
Macbeth
''Macbeth'' (, full title ''The Tragedie of Macbeth'') is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. It is thought to have been first performed in 1606. It dramatises the damaging physical and psychological effects of political ambition on those w ...
'', titled ''
Maqbool
''Maqbool'' is a 2004 Indian crime drama film directed by Vishal Bhardwaj and starring Irrfan, Tabu, Pankaj Kapur, Naseeruddin Shah, Om Puri, Piyush Mishra, Murali Sharma and Masumeh Makhija in an adaptation of the play ''Macbeth'' by Shakesp ...
'', in 2003, and
Rajiv Rai
Rajiv Gulshan Rai (born 18 July 1955) is an Indian film director, screenwriter and film editor. He is the son of the producer Gulshan Rai. He has directed many films under his father's production company ''Trimurti Films''.
He made his debut ...
's ''
Asambhav'' opposite
Arjun Rampal
Arjun Rampal (born 26 November 1972) is an Indian actor, model, film producer and television personality who works in Hindi films. He made his acting debut in Rajiv Rai's romance film '' Pyaar Ishq Aur Mohabbat'' (2001) and has since gone on t ...
and
Priyanka Chopra
Priyanka Chopra Jonas (; ; born 18 July 1982) is an Indian actress and producer. The winner of the Miss World 2000 pageant, Chopra is one of India's highest-paid actresses and has received numerous accolades, including two National Film Awar ...
in 2004. He then went on to work in ''
The Great New Wonderful
''The Great New Wonderful'' is a 2005 American comedy-drama film written by Sam Catlin and directed by Danny Leiner. It stars Naseeruddin Shah, Tony Shalhoub, Jim Gaffigan, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Olympia Dukakis, and tells the tales of several ...
'' (2005). Shah played a pivotal role in ''
Today's Special
''Today's Special'' is a Canadian children's television program produced by Clive VanderBurgh at TVOntario, originally broadcasting 120 episodes from 1981 to 1987. Much of the series was set in a department store, based on Simpson's then-flags ...
'',
Aasif Mandvi
Aasif Hakim Mandviwala (born March 5, 1966), known professionally as Aasif Mandvi (, ), is a British-American actor, comedian and author. He was a correspondent on ''The Daily Show'' from 2006 to 2017. Mandvi's other television work includes the ...
's 2009 independent comedy film. In 2011, Shah was seen in ''
The Dirty Picture
''The Dirty Picture'' is a 2011 Indian Hindi-language biographical musical drama film inspired by the life of Silk Smitha, an Indian actress noted for her erotic roles. The filmmakers have clarified that the story is not officially or literal ...
''. He acted in Anup Kurian's ''
The Blueberry Hunt
''The Blueberry Hunt'' is an Indian-Canadian thriller film directed by Anup Kurian and starring Naseeruddin Shah, Vipin Sharma, Aahana Kumra, PJ Unnikrishnan, Yadu Sankalia, Vinay Forrt, and Kartik Elangovan. The film had a nationwide theatrical ...
'', playing a recluse growing
marijuana
Cannabis, also known as marijuana among other names, is a psychoactive drug from the cannabis plant. Native to Central or South Asia, the cannabis plant has been used as a drug for both recreational and entheogenic purposes and in various tra ...
in his forest retreat, and in ''
Waiting
Waiting, Waitin, Waitin', or The Waiting may refer to:
Film
* ''Waiting'' (1991 film), a film by Jackie McKimmie
* ''Waiting...'' (film), a 2005 film starring Ryan Reynolds
* ''Waiting'' (2007 film), a film by Zarina Bhimji
* ''Waiting'' (20 ...
'', starring opposite
Kalki Koechlin
Kalki Koechlin (; born 10 January 1984) is a French actress and writer who works in Hindi films. Known for her unconventional body of work, she is the recipient of such accolades as a National Film Award, a Filmfare Award, and two Screen Awar ...
, both of which were released in 2016.
Shah made his
Pakistani film debut in ''
Khuda Ke Liye'' by
Shoaib Mansoor
Shoaib Mansoor (Full name, Shoaib Mansoor), ( ur, ; born 4 February 1951 Karachi) is a Pakistani television and film director, writer, producer, lyricist and musician of Muhajir origin.
Active in the television industry since 1980, he first f ...
, where he played a short cameo. His second Pakistani film ''
Zinda Bhaag
''Zinda Bhaag'' ( ur, ) is a 2013 Pakistani Punjabi-language drama film co-directed by Meenu Gaur and Farjad Nabi, and produced by Mazhar Zaidi. The film focuses on the issue of illegal migration. The film had a premiere show on 19 September ...
'' was selected as the country's official entry to the
86th Academy Awards for the
Best Foreign Language Film
This is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various film, festivals, and people's awards.
Best Actor/Best Actress
*See Best Actor#Film awards, Best Actress#F ...
award.
As a director
Shah has performed with his theatre troupe at places such as New Delhi,
Mumbai
Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second- ...
,
Bangalore
Bangalore (), officially Bengaluru (), is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It has a population of more than and a metropolitan population of around , making it the third most populous city and fifth most ...
and
Lahore
Lahore ( ; pnb, ; ur, ) is the second most populous city in Pakistan after Karachi and 26th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 13 million. It is the capital of the province of Punjab where it is the largest city. ...
. He has directed plays written by Lavender Kumar,
Ismat Chughtai
Ismat Chughtai (21 August 1915 – 24 October 1991) was an Indian Urdu novelist, short story writer, liberal humanist and filmmaker. Beginning in the 1930s, she wrote extensively on themes including female sexuality and femininity, middle-class ...
and
Saadat Hasan Manto
Saadat Hasan Manto (; Punjabi, ur, , ; 11 May 1912 – 18 January 1955) was a Pakistani writer, playwright and author born in Ludhiana, who was active in British India and later, after the 1947 partition of India, in Pakistan.
Writing ma ...
.
His directorial debut in movies, ''
Yun Hota To Kya Hota'', was released in 2006. It stars several established actors such as
Konkona Sen Sharma
Konkona Sen Sharma (born 3 December 1979) is an Indian actress and filmmaker who works primarily in Hindi and Bengali films. She has received two National Film Awards and four Filmfare Awards. The daughter of filmmakeractress Aparna Sen, Sen ...
,
Paresh Rawal,
Irrfan Khan
Irrfan Khan () (born Sahabzade Irfan Ali Khan; 7 January 196729 April 2020), also known simply as Irrfan, was an Indian actor who worked in Indian cinema as well as British and American films. Widely regarded as one of the finest actors in In ...
, then-newcomer
Ayesha Takia
Ayesha Takia Azmi (née Takia; born 10 April 1986), is an Indian actress and former model who worked predominantly in Hindi films. Takia made her debut in 2004 with the action thriller '' Taarzan: The Wonder Car'' for which she won Filmfare Bes ...
, his son
Imaad Shah
Imaaduddin Shah (also credited as Imaad Shah; born 20 September 1986) is an Indian actor and musician. He is the son of actors Naseeruddin Shah and Ratna Pathak Shah.
Early life
Imaad was born to actors Naseeruddin Shah and Ratna Pathak on 20 ...
and his old friend
Ravi Baswani
Ravi Baswani (29 September 1946 – 27 July 2010) was an Indian film actor, best known for his role in Sai Paranjpe's '' Chashme Buddoor'' (1981) and Kundan Shah's cult comedy '' Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro'' (1983), for which he won Filmfare Best Co ...
.
He has directed several plays written by eminent people such as Saadat Hasan Manto, Ismat Chughtai and Lavendar Kumar.
Other media and art forms
![Naseeruddin Shah at The Doon School](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c3/Naseeruddin_Shah_at_The_Doon_School.jpg)
In 1977, Shah,
Tom Alter
Thomas Beach Alter (22 June 1950 – 29 September 2017) was an Indian actor. He was best known for his works in Hindi cinema, and Indian theatre. In 2008, he was awarded the Padma Shri by the Government of India.
Early life
Born in Mussoorie ...
and
Benjamin Gilani formed a theatre group called Motley Productions. Their first play was
Samuel Beckett
Samuel Barclay Beckett (; 13 April 1906 – 22 December 1989) was an Irish novelist, dramatist, short story writer, theatre director, poet, and literary translator. His literary and theatrical work features bleak, impersonal and tragicomic expe ...
's ''
Waiting for Godot'', which was staged at the
Prithvi Theatre
Prithvi Theatre is one of Mumbai's best known theatres. It was built by Shashi Kapoor and his wife Jennifer Kapoor in memory of Prithviraj Kapoor, Shashi's father, who had dreamt of having a "home" for his repertory theatre company, Prithvi Th ...
on 29 July 1979.
In 1988, he acted in the
eponym
An eponym is a person, a place, or a thing after whom or which someone or something is, or is believed to be, named. The adjectives which are derived from the word eponym include ''eponymous'' and ''eponymic''.
Usage of the word
The term ''epon ...
ous
television series
A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite television, satellite, or cable television, cable, excluding breaking news, television adverti ...
based on the life and times of
Mirza Ghalib
)
, birth_date =
, birth_place = Kala Mahal, Agra, Maratha Confederacy
, death_date =
, death_place = Gali Qasim Jaan, Ballimaran, Chandni Chowk, Delhi, British India
, occupation = Poet
, language ...
, directed by
Gulzar
Sampooran Singh Kalra (born 18 August 1934), known professionally as Gulzar, is an Indian Urdu poet, lyricist, author, screenwriter, and film director known for his works in Hindi cinema. He is regarded as one of greatest Urdu poets of this ...
and telecast on
DD National
DD National (formerly DD1) is a state-owned public entertainment television channel in India. It is the flagship channel of Doordarshan, India's public service broadcaster, and the oldest and most widely available terrestrial television channel ...
.
In 1989, he acted as the
Maratha
The Marathi people (Marathi: मराठी लोक) or Marathis are an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group who are indigenous to Maharashtra in western India. They natively speak Marathi, an Indo-Aryan language. Maharashtra was formed as a M ...
King
Shivaji
Shivaji Bhonsale I (; 19 February 1630 – 3 April 1680), also referred to as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, was an Indian ruler and a member of the Bhonsle Maratha clan. Shivaji carved out his own independent kingdom from the declining Adils ...
in another
eponym
An eponym is a person, a place, or a thing after whom or which someone or something is, or is believed to be, named. The adjectives which are derived from the word eponym include ''eponymous'' and ''eponymic''.
Usage of the word
The term ''epon ...
ous television series ''
Bharat Ek Khoj
''Bharat Ek Khoj'' () is a 53-episode Indian historical drama based on the book '' The Discovery of India'' (1946) by Jawaharlal Nehru that covers a 5,000-year history of India from its beginnings to independence from the British in 1947. The ...
'' based on
Jawaharlal Nehru
Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru (; ; ; 14 November 1889 – 27 May 1964) was an Indian anti-colonial nationalist, secular humanist, social democrat—
*
*
*
* and author who was a central figure in India during the middle of the 20t ...
's book ''
The Discovery of India
''The Discovery of India'' was written by the Indian Independence leader, Jawaharlal Nehru (later India's first Prime Minister) during his incarceration in 1942–1945 at Ahmednagar fort in present day Indian state of Maharashtra by British co ...
''.
In mid 1990s, Shah also hosted some episodes of science magazine programme ''
Turning Point
A turning point, or climax, is the point of highest tension in a narrative work.
Turning Point or Turning Points may refer to:
Film
* ''The Turning Point'', a 1914 silent film starring Caroline Cooke
* ''The Turning Point'' (1920 film), an Ame ...
''.
In 1999, he acted as a special agent in the TV series ''Tarkash'' on
Zee TV
Zee TV (stylised as ZEE TV) is a Hindi general entertainment pay television channel in India. It was launched on 2 October 1992, as the first privately owned TV channel in the country. It is owned by Zee Entertainment Enterprises. Zee TV also ...
. He played a retired agent haunted by nightmares who is re-inducted as he apparently knows something about a dreaded terrorist somehow connected with his past. He played the villain with the dual identity of a
ghazal
The ''ghazal'' ( ar, غَزَل, bn, গজল, Hindi-Urdu: /, fa, غزل, az, qəzəl, tr, gazel, tm, gazal, uz, gʻazal, gu, ગઝલ) is a form of amatory poem or ode, originating in Arabic poetry. A ghazal may be understood as a ...
singer and a
Pakistani spy who supports terrorism in India in ''
Sarfarosh
''Sarfarosh'' () is a 1999 Indian action drama film written, produced and directed by John Matthew Matthan and starring Aamir Khan, Naseeruddin Shah, Sonali Bendre and Mukesh Rishi. John started working on ''Sarfarosh'' in 1992. Seven years ...
'' (1999). He was the first of several celebrity actors, who played narrator in the popular audiobook series for kids ''
Karadi Tales
Karadi Tales is an independent children's publishing house based in Chennai, India focusing primarily on picture books and audiobooks. It was started in 1996 with an intent to create a space for Indian culture in the world of children's publishi ...
''. He along with wife Ratna was the narrator in the film ''
Paheli
''Paheli'' () is a 2005 Indian Hindi-language fantasy film. It is a remake of the 1973 Hindi movie ''Duvidha'' by Mani Kaul based on the short story written by Vijayadan Detha in Rajasthani. It was also reported to have been partially inspired ...
'' — the Indian entry to the
2006 Academy Awards.
In 2017, Shah returned to film, starring in Shakespearean adaption
The Hungry
''The Hungry'' is a 2017 Indian drama film directed by Bornila Chatterjee. It was filmed by London-based cinematographer Nick Cooke. It was screened in the Special Presentations section at the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival and is a m ...
, screened under special presentations at the
Toronto International Film Festival
The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF, often stylized as tiff) is one of the largest publicly attended film festivals in the world, attracting over 480,000 people annually. Since its founding in 1976, TIFF has grown to become a permane ...
2017.
Personal life
![Naseeruddin Shah, Ratna Pathak at 'Gangs Of Wasseypur' screening 10](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2a/Naseeruddin_Shah%2C_Ratna_Pathak_at_%27Gangs_Of_Wasseypur%27_screening_10.jpg)
Shah was married to Manara Sikri and had a daughter, Heeba, with her. In the 1970s, Shah met and fell in love with
Ratna Pathak
Ratna Pathak Shah (born 18 March 1957) is an Indian actress and director known for her work in Hindi theatre, television, and films. Her extensive work in theatre includes a series of plays in both English and Hindi. She rose to prominence when ...
, the daughter of
Dina Pathak
Dina Pathak (née Gandhi; 4 March 1922 – 11 October 2002) was an Indian actress and director of Gujarati theatre and also a film actor. She was an activist and President of the National Federation of Indian Women (NFIW).
A doyenne of Hindi a ...
, a well-respected character actress. During the 70s and 80s they co-starred in several films, including ''
Mirch Masala
''Mirch Masala'' (Translation: Hot Spice) is a 1987 Hindi psychological thriller film directed by Ketan Mehta. It stars Naseeruddin Shah and Smita Patil in the lead roles. On the centenary of Indian cinema in April 2013, ''Forbes'' included Smita ...
'' and
''The Perfect Murder''. They were in a live-in relationship for many years, while Shah put together the ''
mehr'' required to divorce Manara. Shah and Pathak were finally married in 1982.
Manara died the same year due to unknown reasons. By his second marriage, Shah has two sons,
Imaad and
Vivaan, both of whom are actors. The couple lives in
Mumbai
Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second- ...
with Heeba, Imaad and Vivaan.
Filmography
Awards and nominations
Civilian Awards
*
1987
File:1987 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The MS Herald of Free Enterprise capsizes after leaving the Port of Zeebrugge in Belgium, killing 193; Northwest Airlines Flight 255 crashes after takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Airport, k ...
—
Padma Shri
Padma Shri (IAST: ''padma śrī''), also spelled Padma Shree, is the fourth-highest Indian honours system, civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan. Instituted on 2 January 1954, ...
— India's fourth highest civilian award.
*
2003 —
Padma Bhushan
The Padma Bhushan is the third-highest civilian award in the Republic of India, preceded by the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan and followed by the Padma Shri. Instituted on 2 January 1954, the award is given for "distinguished service ...
— India's third highest civilian award.
Film awards
Other awards
* 2000: Won:
Sangeet Natak Akademi Award
Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (IPA: Saṅgīta Nāṭaka Akādamī Puraskāra), also known as the Akademi Puraskar, is an award given by the Sangeet Natak Akademi
Sangeet Natak Akademi (The National Academy of Music, Dance and Drama in Englis ...
Autobiography
In an interview with ''HT Brunch'', Shah speaks about having thought about an autobiography for almost 10 years. He penned down his thoughts occasionally during this period until he finally came up with 100-odd pages. What had started as an amusing pastime had clearly grown into something much deeper. He then presented the unfinished version to his friend, historian
Ramchandra Guha
Ramachandra "Ram" Guha (born 29 April 1958) is an Indian historian, environmentalist, writer and public intellectual whose research interests include social, political, contemporary, environmental and cricket history, and the field of economics ...
, who encouraged Shah to complete it and send it to a publication house. Shah's memoir is titled ''And Then One Day'', and was published by Hamish Hamilton.
Controversies
Criticising veterans
Naseeruddin has been frequently involved in controversy with his criticism of senior actors like
Dilip Kumar
Mohammed Yusuf Khan (; 11 December 1922 – 7 July 2021), better known by his stage name Dilip Kumar, was an Indian actor who worked in Hindi cinema. Credited with pioneering method acting in cinema, he dominated the Indian movie scene from ...
, fellow actors like
Anupam Kher,
Amitabh Bachchan
Amitabh Bachchan (; born as Amitabh Shrivastav; 11 October 1942) is an Indian actor, film producer, television host, occasional playback singer and former politician known for his work in Hindi cinema. He is regarded as one of the most succe ...
, juniors like
Shahrukh Khan
Shah Rukh Khan (; born 2 November 1965), also known by the initialism SRK, is an Indian actor, film producer, and television personality who works in Hindi films. Referred to in the media as the " Baadshah of Bollywood", "King of Bollywood" ...
,
Salman Khan
Abdul Rashid Salim Salman Khan (; 27 December 1965) is an Indian actor, film producer, and television personality who works in Hindi films. In a film career spanning over thirty years, Khan has received numerous awards, including two Nation ...
, cricketer
Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli (; born 5 November 1988) is an Indian international cricketer and former captain of the India national cricket team. Widely regarded as one of the greatest batsmen of all time, Kohli plays as a right-handed Batting (cricket), batte ...
and politician and
Prime minister
A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...
Narendra Modi
Narendra Damodardas Modi (; born 17 September 1950) is an Indian politician serving as the 14th and current Prime Minister of India since 2014. Modi was the Chief Minister of Gujarat from 2001 to 2014 and is the Member of Parliament from ...
. Shah once said that people watching movies of Shahrukh and Salman should not watch his movies. In July 2016, Shah blamed
Rajesh Khanna
Rajesh Khanna () (; born Jatin Khanna; 29 December 1942 – 18 July 2012) was an Indian actor, film producer and politician who worked in Hindi films. He is called as the "First Superstar of Hindi cinema", he consecutively starred in a record ...
for mediocrity in movies with his poor acting during the 1970s. He also stated that Khanna was not an alert person whom he had met. However, later after criticism from several people in the Bollywood fraternity including Khanna's daughter
Twinkle
Twinkle may refer to:
* Twinkling, the variation of brightness of distant objects
People
* Twinkle (singer) (1948–2015), born Lynn Annette Ripley, English singer-songwriter
* Twinkle Khanna, Indian movie actress
* Twinkle Bajpai, female conte ...
, Naseeruddin apologized about his views. On 18 December 2018, he sparked a controversy by calling
Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli (; born 5 November 1988) is an Indian international cricketer and former captain of the India national cricket team. Widely regarded as one of the greatest batsmen of all time, Kohli plays as a right-handed Batting (cricket), batte ...
as the worst behaved cricketer in the world.
Criticized by Nationalist media
Shah was criticized by
ationalist mediaafter he reacted to an incident of communal violence in December 2018. He stated that he felt unsafe in current day India and was worried about the safety of his children if they were caught in a mob violence situation.
Verbal spat with Anupam Kher
In January 2020, Shah was targeted by media after criticizing his co-actor colleague
Anupam Kher for his views supporting the
Indian government
The Government of India (ISO 15919, ISO: ; often abbreviated as GoI), known as the Union Government or Central Government but often simply as the Centre, is the Government, national government of the Republic of India, a federal democracy lo ...
’s
Citizenship Amendment Act
The Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 was passed by the Parliament of India on 11 December 2019. It amended the Indian nationality law, Citizenship Act, 1955 by providing a pathway to Indian citizenship for Religious persecution, persecuted rel ...
, calling him a clown and sycophant.
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shah, Naseeruddin
1950 births
Living people
Naseeruddin Shah
People from Barabanki, Uttar Pradesh
Indian male film actors
Indian expatriate male actors in Pakistan
Male actors in Hindi cinema
Recipients of the Padma Bhushan in arts
Recipients of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award
Filmfare Awards winners
Screen Awards winners
Best Supporting Actor National Film Award winners
Aligarh Muslim University alumni
National School of Drama alumni
Film and Television Institute of India alumni
Male actors from Mumbai
Volpi Cup for Best Actor winners
Indian drama teachers
People from Barabanki district
Best Actor National Film Award winners
Male actors in Gujarati-language films
Recipients of the Padma Shri in arts
International Indian Film Academy Awards winners
Indian male stage actors
20th-century Indian male actors
21st-century Indian male actors