A recent comment by the actor Anupam Kher about the theft of donation money at the Ram temple in Ayodhya has brought an old video of the veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah back into discussion on social media. In that 2020 interview, Naseeruddin Shah had sharply criticized Anupam Kher’s political ideology and addressed him as a “joker.”
In a recent interview with the Indian outlet India Today, Anupam Kher compared the theft of money at the Ram temple with what he described as the destruction and looting of temples in the Mughal era. Soon after he called the theft a “very minor matter,” Naseeruddin Shah’s old comment against him began to be widely shared on social media.
In the 2020 interview, Naseeruddin Shah had been asked about people in the film world who had taken positions for or against various government policies and decisions. In reply he said that those protesting were fewer in number than the government’s supporters. Referring to Anupam Kher, he added at the time: “People like Anupam Kher are extremely vocal. I do not think there is any need to take him seriously. He is a joker. Any of his contemporaries at the NSD (National School of Drama) and the FTII (Film and Television Institute of India) can confirm this flattering nature. It is in his blood; he cannot control himself.”
In response to those comments at the time, Anupam Kher posted a video message on X, alleging that Naseeruddin Shah had a long habit of criticizing his colleagues in the film world. In the video message, Kher said: “I have never said anything bad about you, but today I will. Even after achieving so much, you have spent your whole life in frustration. If you can criticize people like Dilip Kumar sahab, Amitabh Bachchan, Rajesh Khanna, Shah Rukh Khan and Virat Kohli, then I am sure that I am on the right path.” Alluding to Naseeruddin Shah’s personal life, he also said: “None of them ever took your statements seriously, because we all know that, because of the kind of drugs or intoxicants you have been taking for years, you cannot tell what is right and what is wrong.”
In the recent India Today interview, when Anupam Kher was asked about the theft of money from the donation box at the Ayodhya Ram temple, he set out a historical context and claimed it was negligible. “When the Mughals destroyed our temples, temples were looted. When Brahmins were killed, the wealth of temples was looted and women were tortured inside the temples, that was a much bigger tragedy. If we can get over that pain, then this theft is a very minor matter,” he said. Targeting the current criticism, he added: “People are making it a very big issue. They are saying looting happened at the temple — such words are being used. Looting happened back when the Mughal rulers destroyed our temples and killed Brahmins. If we can get over that, then this ordinary theft is a very trivial matter.”
Anupam Kher will next be seen in the film “Shri Ram Bhoomi,” directed by Kamakhya Narayan Singh, who recently drew attention for directing “The Kerala Story 2.” Alongside Kher, Ritwik Bhowmik and Amrita Khanvilkar are acting in the film. His film “Khosla Ka Ghosla 2” is also awaiting release.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report