Naseeruddin Shah: A great actor, on stage and off stage

Happy Birthday Naseeruddin Shah! A great actor, a real life gentleman. 🙂

One of the most stellar performers in the field of acting, an individual who redefined acting through the ways and means of “method acting”, someone who has grown on the silver screen and we’ve witnessed rise of an actor who is perhaps the finest male actor that Bollywood has ever seen – it’s none other than the COMMON MAN turned superstar in acting – Naseeruddin Shah.

Naseeruddin Shah

Date of birth – July 20, 1949

Shah has often been vocal in criticizing the lack of good scripts in Bollywood and is known to be a perfectionist for he bluntly criticizes actor who are appreciated for no reason but due to a huge fan following. Shah is often in limelight for his outspoken views but he’s beloved by many to see Bollywood from the looking glass of an industry that has emphasized much on commercialization of cinema than content based cinema.

Naseeruddin Shah is descendant of a 19^th century Afghan war-lord Jan-Fishan Khan, who participated in the first Afghan Anglo-Afghan War and helped the British in the subsequent rebellion on the Indians in 1857.

Shah war born in Barabanki, Uttar Pardesh. Shah’s first success in the field of acting professionally was with his admission to the National School Of Drama, the prestigious NSD shaped and transformed Shah into a character actor –  going on to give some of the most finest performances in the history of Indian cinema.

A true actor

Naseeruddin Shah has expressed in interviews that he was a no-good student and was never a top scorer in studies; in fact he was Einstein only that he couldn’t effortlessly excel in education later. Both his brothers were into acting and his elder brother was the chosen one for school plays – Naseerudin though was often overlooked but it was his 9^th class play in “Merchant of Venice”, playing Sherlock that made Naseeruddin realize his talent into acting and how going onto the stage helped him gain everyone’s attention and thus began the journey of an actor.

Naseeruddin Shah and Ratna Pathak

Naseeruddin Shah married for the first time when he was 19-20 years old to Manara Sikhri, with whom he has a daughter. The couple however separated when their daughter, Heeba (a stage actor now) was just 1 year old. In the 1970’s, Naseeruddin Shah fell in love with another acclaimed stage actor in Ratna Pathak, sister of Supriya Pathak. Shah and Pathak have 2 sons in Vivaan and Imaad and were seen together last in the movie “Jaane Tu Yaa Jaane Naa”.

Movies

Shah has delivered some fantabulous roles in his illustrious acting career, such as – Aakrosh, Sparsh, Albert Pinto Ko Gussa Kyun Aata Hai, Paar, Junoon, Ardh Satya alongside his very good friend in OM Puri, Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron, Iqbal and A Wednesday, to name a few.

Honored with Padma Bhushan

Naseeruddin Shah was bestowed with the prestigious Padma Bhushan in the year 2003. Shah’s craft of acting has been appreciated by the Indian government which has appreciated his work with 3 national awards for films Sparsh, Paar and Iqbal. Shah has won the filmfare award for best actor thrice for Masoom, Chakra and Aakrosh.

We wish the legend of acting, Naseeruddin Shah, a very happy 67^th birthday on 20^th of July, 2016.