Naseeruddin Shah claims he was disinvited from a Mumbai University event.
Actor links Jashn-e-Urdu controversy to his political views.
Shah challenges claims that he spoke against the country.
Veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah has claimed he was disinvited from a Mumbai University event, alleging that his political views played a role in the decision. The actor said he was initially invited to Jashn-e-Urdu, organised by the university’s Urdu Department, but was later informed that his presence was no longer required, without any formal explanation.
Naseeruddin Shah was disinvited from the Mumbai University event
Shah revealed that the communication withdrawing his invitation came late at night, just hours before the event was scheduled to take place. What upset him further, he said, was the claim made by the organisers that he had personally declined the invitation, something he has categorically denied. According to Shah, the abrupt reversal left him disappointed, particularly because the programme was cultural and literary in nature.
Jashn-e-Urdu controversy and university response
In an op-ed published in a leading newspaper, Naseeruddin Shah wrote about the incident while reflecting on his four-decade-long association with teaching and mentoring young actors. He stated that no apology or clarification was offered by the university after the decision. Shah also alleged that a senior university official reportedly remarked that he “openly makes statements against the country”.
Challenging this claim, the actor asked the official to cite even one statement where he had spoken against India. Shah maintained that his criticism has always been directed at policies and governance, not the country itself.
Naseeruddin Shah on politics and dissent
Linking the episode to his political stance, Shah reiterated that he has been openly critical of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the ruling establishment. In his op-ed, he referred to the Prime Minister as the “self-proclaimed Vishwaguru” and expressed discomfort with what he described as rising intolerance, suppression of dissent and selective application of justice.
He wrote that the India he sees today feels unfamiliar, pointing to prolonged detention of student activists, the rewriting of history and a culture of constant hostility. Shah questioned how long such hatred could be sustained.
