In an interview with a portal, veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah had opened up about the protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and said his fellow actor Anupam Kher, who has been "very vocal" in his support to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its policies, is a clown. "Someone like Anupam Kher has been very vocal. I don't think he needs to be taken seriously. He's a clown. Any number of his contemporaries from NFD and FTII can attest to his sycophantic nature. It's in his blood, he can't help it," Naseer was quoted as saying.
For the unversed, he was talking about how many Bollywood stars are keeping mum over the issue, and also about the student protests and actress Deepika Padukone's show of solidarity at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU).
In his reply, Anupam responded to the jibe saying Naseer is a "frustrated" man despite of all the acclaim he has won. Share a video message for him, Anupam said, "I saw the interview you gave about me. Thank you. I would like to inform you that I never take your remarks seriously. Even though I have never bad-mouthed about you. But now I will say -- you have spent your entire life (even after achieving success) in frustration. If you can criticise Dilip Kumar, Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Rajesh Khanna, Virat Kohli... then I am sure, I am in great company."
Now actress Richa Chadha was questioned about their war of words during an interview, to which she said, "I think we shouldn't say anything because they know each other from NSD (National School Of Drama) days and they are talking. So I just don't understand why anyone should say anything about them. He's saying you are a sycophant and a clown, he is saying you are a victim of substance abuse. So it really does seem personal." Further mentioning how the poltiical tension in the country is affecting the industry, the actress added, "This political tension is not just affecting the industry, it's affecting families. People have stopped talking to extended families because their views are different. I have had to quit WhatsApp groups where I feel like people are toxic. So this is why they say the 'personal is political.' There's no such thing as politics that exits in a vaccum."
Last but not the least, she maintained that everyone should speak up as she questioned, "When everything in your life is affected by political decisions, policies that are made, how can we say that we can remain apolitical?"
(Source: Zoom TV)
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