Farhan Akhtar wasn't pleased by Naseeruddin Shah's criticism of his acting being ‘thrown out publicly': ‘I realized this person doesn't respect you'

Indian Express

a day ago

Fans of Zoya Akhtar's 2011 hit coming-of-age road movie Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara can't ever forget the emotionally charged scene which marks the reunion of Farhan Akhtar's character Imraan and his estranged father, Naseeruddin Shah's Salman. Like how the scene ended without a resolution, there also seems to be some unfinished business between the two actors in real life.
Back in 2013, Naseeruddin had publicly claimed he 'clearly' doesn't 'care for' Farhan's films, whether as an actor or a director, with the exception of his 2001 seminal directorial debut, Dil Chahta Hai. 'I'm not a great fan of his acting or his films,' the veteran actor had said in an interview with the Times of India, while also praising Farhan's multihyphenated personality.
Now, 12 years later, Farhan Akhtar has responded to Naseeruddin Shah's statement. He said, 'It has to be done with a certain degree of love, and a certain degree of respect for the other person. I felt that it didn't come from that place. I just felt it was just like a statement just thrown out publicly. I felt that then this person doesn't respect you… so why should I reach out to a person who doesn't respect me?'
'It was very clear to me that if he really did genuinely feel that… he knows my dad, Shabana, my mom and me… we worked together in ZNMD, so it would have been the easiest thing for him to say that I want to speak to you why don't you come over,' added Farhan, who claimed that he'd also reach out to younger talent if he wants to give them constructive feedback. But he'd do so personally instead of commenting on their skills in public.
Naseeruddin Shah has not only worked with Farhan Akhtar and Zoya Akhtar, but also shared a legendary association with their stepmother, Shabana Azmi. They starred together in memorable movies like Shyam Benegal's Nishant (1975), Junoon (1979), and Mandi (1983), Shekhar Kapur' Masoom (1983), Sai Paranjpye's Sparsh (1980), Mrinal Sen's Khandhar (1984), Gotam Ghose's Paar (1984), and Vidhu Vinod Chopra's Khamosh (1986). They'll soon reunite after decades in Kapur's Masoom: A New Generation.
Naseeruddin has criticised the work of not only Farhan, but also his legendary father, veteran screenwriter, lyricist and poet Javed Akhtar. 'You have copied every scene, you didn't leave any of Charlie Chaplin's films, besides Clint Eastwood is felt in every frame,' the veteran actor said of Ramesh Sippy's 1975 blockbuster Sholay, which Javed co-wrote with Salim Khan.
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Years later, after Naseeruddin Shah also remarked how mediocrity entered in the 1970s with the rise of the romantic superstar Rajesh Khanna, the late actor's Haathi Mere Saathi collaborator, Javed Akhtar, said, 'It's simple – Naseeruddin Shah does not like successful people. I have never heard him praise any successful person. He criticises Dilip Kumar; he criticises Amitabh Bachchan.'