Mumbai– Veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah has broken his silence after facing online criticism for deleting a social media post in support of Punjabi singer-actor Diljit Dosanjh.
Taking to Facebook, Shah shared a pointed message about truth and public reaction, quoting German scientist and philosopher Georg Christoph Lichtenberg. He wrote, “It is almost impossible to carry the torch of truth through a crowd without singeing somebody’s beard. — Georg Christoph Lichtenberg, scientist and philosopher (1 Jul 1742–1799).”
The quote, though centuries old, appears to reflect Shah’s feelings about the intense backlash that followed his earlier post — one that addressed the controversy surrounding Diljit’s collaboration with Pakistani actress Hania Aamir in the upcoming film Sardaar Ji 3.
In the now-deleted post, Shah had strongly defended Dosanjh and criticized what he called politically motivated attacks on the artist.
“I stand firmly with Diljit. The dirty tricks deptt of Jumla Party has been awaiting a chance to attack him. They think they’ve got it at last. He was not responsible for the casting of the film, the director was. But no one knows who he is whereas Diljit is known the world over, and he agreed to the cast because his mind is not poisoned,” Shah wrote.
The 74-year-old actor went further, criticizing what he described as attempts to stifle cultural interaction between Indians and Pakistanis.
“What these goons want is to put an end to personal interaction between the people of India and Pakistan. I have close relatives and some dear friends there and no one can stop me from meeting them or sending them love whenever I feel like it. And my response to those who will say ‘Go to Pakistan’ is — Go To Kailasa,” he added, referencing the controversial self-declared nation by fugitive godman Nithyananda.
However, Shah faced backlash from a section of users on X (formerly Twitter) after taking the post down just a day later. Many criticized the veteran actor for withdrawing his public support of Dosanjh, suggesting that he had bowed to pressure.
Shah’s recent philosophical post, though not directly addressing the criticism, is widely seen as a subtle but firm stand on his right to speak out — even when it invites controversy. (Source: IANS)
