Naseeruddin Shah's statement on Bollywood goes viral

Seasoned Indian actor Naseeruddin Shah recently spoke out at an event regarding the repeated use of religion and identity for ridicule and sensationalism in Bollywood. Addressing the issue, the 75-year-old star asked, “Which religion has Bollywood not made fun of?”

Naseeruddin Shah labeled Bollywood movies as “masters of stereotypes,” claiming that Sikhs, Parsis, and Christians are consistently made fun of. Meanwhile, he noted, a Muslim character is typically portrayed as the hero’s friend early in the film, only to die saving the hero’s life at the conclusion.

The Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro star further stated that laughing at others’ suffering is a national trait of Indians. “We do not know how to laugh at ourselves,” he remarked. “We become angry when anyone makes a joke about us, but we don’t think twice before making fun of someone else.” Sadly, he added, Indian movies have been deliberately promoting this behavior.

Apart from that, the veteran actor also objected to the celebration of “100 years of Indian cinema.”

The ‘A Wednesday’ actor observed that while India has been making movies for around a century and making a huge fuss about it, filmmakers continue to present the same sagas repeatedly. He highlighted that this is not a new issue, but rather that mocking other religions has become part of a 100-year-old tradition.“