The veteran Indian actor, who is famous for his detailed acting on-screen, divulged into details of how he rose to the top of the Indian film industry and the arduous situations he braved in order to get where he is today.
The event was moderated by Meena Gaur, who often posed questions to the celebrity as well. Talking about himself, he said, “I was no good as a student, at school or at college but I, all along, had my focus fixed. It was acting,” Shah said.
On the occasion, Naseeruddin also dwelt in the hardships that young actors go through in order to find work in film industry. Narrating his own experience, the actor shared how he stayed with a friend in Mumbai to chase his dream of making it big in Bollywood. During the initial days of struggle, his friend soon became frustrated and asked him to secure an employment or leave his premises.
“We become actors because we want to be seen and liked and be famous. I did popular movies to be known to a larger audience. It didn’t happen and I had to live with it.”
Naseeruddin Shah was often critical of the current status of Bollywood and didn’t shy away from analyzing the state of the Indian film industry for what it was. “If today the whole world is watching Bollywood films is because of the ‘spice’ they offer,” he said. He further added that the attention and fascination the world seemed to harbor for Bollywood would not last longer.
Naseeruddin Shah has been an actor early on, since 1975. He has starred as the lead actor in more than 200 films and as well as 60 professional theatre productions, within India and abroad. This book will certainly make for an interesting read as it features Shah’s revelations regarding his journey to stardom. Also, it tells interesting stories about one of the most celebrated individuals of India such as Dilip Kumar, Ebrahim Alkazi, Shyam Bengal, Girish Karnad, Om Puri, and Shabana Azmi.
