Naseeruddin Shah: Beyond the Spotlight - Love, Life, Fatherhood & Politics | Karishma Mehta | Ep 46

“My father’s love was conditional. Growing up, he didn’t just disapprove of the things I did, but myself. And it’s a great weight for a child to grow up with–a weight I’ve tried to ensure my children were never subject to. But I cannot say I’ve been a model father either–I didn’t meet my daughter for the first 14 years of her life.

I’ve played a great many characters in my life, a husband, a son, and a father among all the others. I perfected some, and some not so much. But I poured a bit of myself into every character I played and took something away from that character, too. So today, I have a little bit of D.K. Malhotra in me, a bit of Salman Habib, a bit of Amar Singh, and also a bit of Akbar. Because, in the end, that’s what has made me Naseeruddin Shah!”

An icon of Indian cinema, a versatile actor, and a theatre veteran who has enthralled us with his mesmerizing performances for decades—Naseeruddin Shah. With his commanding presence and extraordinary talent, he has left an indelible mark on the world of acting.

From intense dramas to light-hearted comedies, his ability to immerse himself in diverse roles and bring characters to life with unparalleled depth and conviction is a testament to his sheer brilliance.

We had the honour and privilege to delve into the extraordinary journey of this acting virtuoso. Join us as we unravel the insights, experiences, and wisdom of Naseeruddin Shah, a living legend who continues to redefine the art of storytelling.

You simply cannot miss this one—tune in NOW!

We talked about:
Early life
Complicated relationship with his father
Parent’s love
Acting Journey
Love affair with theatres
His relationship with Ratna Pathak Shah
Divorce & Fatherhood
Acceptance in the industry
An actor’s struggle
Characters he loved playing
His take on love and marriage
A comment on current political scenario

#naseeruddinshah #bollywood #humansofbombay

Time Stamps
00:00 - Precap
00:30 - Chasing him for a while
00:38 - Self-identity & finding refuge in being someone else
02:42 - “I’m not a great conversationalist!”
03:22 - Coming from a Nawab family
05:33 - Drawing parallels between ‘Taj’ and real-life
06:23 - His troubled relationship with his father
10:17 - Stepping onto the stage for the first time
11:20 - Coming to Bombay was a crash course in growing up
13:28 - There’s no plan B
14:38 - Looks and Bollywood
15:54 - Marijuana, Mumbai & Being Broke
17:51- “That one scene in ZNMD were close to my heart!”
19:57 - Finding love, losing it and finding it again
20:49 - Falling in love with Ratna Pathak Shah
21:54 - “I was a drug addict & ill-tempered!”
22:41 - Mistake couples make…
24:26 - Favorite thing about Ratna
25:27 - On not repeating his father’s mistakes
26:18 - The weight of legacy
27:18 - “I hate playing nice guys!”
28:43 - An actor’s responsibility
30:02 - Advice to an aspiring group of actors
30:17 - Ethical dilemma
30:47 - Things we couldn’t find on Google
34:00 - An opinion on the current political climate
35:31 - An advice to the youth

Links:
Humans of Bombay
Instagram:   / officialhum.  .
Uncovered by Humans of Bombay:    / @humansofbombayuncovered  
LinkedIn:   / huma.  .

Naseeruddin Shah
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/naseeruddin...
Facebook:   / naseeruddinofficial  

Karishma Mehta
Instagram:   / karimehta05  
LinkedIn:   / karishma-.  .

About Humans of Bombay –
Humans of Bombay is a movement that started 9 years ago. We believe that every person has a story to tell and we want to help them tell these stories. In these years we’ve published stories across genres – stories of love, hope, faith and courage. And through our storytelling, we’ve built an engaged community of over 5M!

Our idea is simple – to strike a chord with our community and catalogue the beat of humanity, one story at a time.