Mumbai: From theatre to television, cinema to digital platforms, veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah has seen it all. He is constantly proving his relevance as a performing artist. Naseeruddin says there is nothing to prove for him as an actor anymore. However, he wakes up every day with the belief that he has ‘something to give’ to the audience.
Excitement related to acting
“I think it is the suspicion that I still have function left to fulfill, I am not done yet as an actor. I still have something to give (to the audience). I am lucky that people still want to watch me. Also the fact that I love my work, I love acting helps me to move ahead,” said the veteran actor.
“There is something about performing. I can’t explain the excitement, and I haven’t got over it. I think I am obsessed with acting. I think when I wake up tomorrow morning if I am unable to perform, I probably will commit suicide. What is there in life without it?” the 70-year-old ‘youngster’ added.
Shah is one of the most revered faces of parallel cinema and has also tasted commercial success. Over the years, he has worked with the biggest of filmmakers across genres. He said he has always been supportive of debutant filmmakers.
“When I interact with newcomers, I think of people like like Habib Tanvir, Girish Karnad, Om Puri and Shyam Benegal. When I was a youngster, they were ideals for me. When one struggles, encouragement is needed, and these people always guided me,” Shah said.
They have made me the actor I am today. So when I work with new actors and film directors, I try and encourage the story that is worth telling,” added Shah.
Importance of story
Shah asserted that the intention behind story draws him to a role. “It is not always the character but what it wants to say, that matters the most,” Shah pointed out.
“If the film Khuda Kay Liye were about glorifying the Taliban I would have not come on board to be part of the story. Coming from a very orthodox Muslim family, as a child I was told that Islam is the greatest religion. I was taught all non-Muslims are ‘kaafirs’. But those thoughts used to disturb me as a growing adult,” Shah stated.
“I was like, ‘but my friend KC Singh is such a nice fellow, it was not his decision to born a Hindu, so why would he go to hell?’ We do not choose our parents and the religion we are born into’. Why should music be banned? All those questions were addressed in Khuda Kay Liye. So, as an actor, I agreed to do the movie, not necessarily the character that I was portraying,” he added.
IANS
