'Bitterness': Anupam Kher opens up on feud with Naseeruddin Shah
What's the story
There has been long-standing tension between Bollywood veterans Anupam Kher and Naseeruddin Shah. The disagreement began in 2020 when Shah publicly criticized Kher for his pro-government stance during the Deepika Padukone-JNU controversy. In a recent interview with Samdish Bhatia, Kher spoke about their strained relationship, saying he still respects Shah despite their differences.
Relationship dynamics
'There is some kind of bitterness or what...'
Kher said, "I still feel that I have a great respect for him. I think he sometimes has a loose talk conversation about me." He added, "When we met, he was saying sorry. Naseer told me to hug him because I always hug him." Kher added, "I think sometimes he just says things just like that...I think there is some kind of bitterness or what."
Mutual respect
Kher's admiration for Shah and criticism of his statements
Kher added, "I like him a lot... we have come to the movies after seeing him. There is no bigger star in parallel cinema than him, no one." However, he also criticized Shah's public statements about him. "Sometimes I become the victim, sometimes Dilip sir becomes the victim, sometimes Rajesh Khanna becomes the victim."
Public feud
Shah's criticism of Kher and Kher's response
In 2020, Shah had criticized Kher in an interview with The Wire. He called Kher a "clown" and said he doesn't need to be taken seriously. In response, Kher posted a video on X saying, "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." The two last worked together in Neeraj Pandey's 2018 film Aiyaary.