Cinema VinesFilmmaker and producer Ashoke Pandit has publicly criticized veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah after the actor posted a video on Facebook supporting students at Delhi’s Jamia Millia Islamia. In the clip, Shah wore a badge that read “Dimagi Naxal,” a term he used proudly, and he questioned the central government’s handling of the protests, labeling the authorities as “anti‑national” and a “tukde‑tukde gang.”
During an interview with the news agency ANI, Pandit said he was neither surprised nor shocked by Shah’s language, describing the actor as a “compulsive abuser” who has been “constantly misbehaving” over the last year. He added that Shah’s recent public appearances show signs of frustration, noting that the actor’s comments are damaging his public image. “When I see him totally distorted, totally frustrated on camera, and he’s trying to vent out his frustration, the more he vents, the more he’s exposed day by day,” Pandit remarked.
Pandit linked Shah’s outbursts to ideological differences over commercially successful films such as The Kashmir Files, The Kerala Story and Dhurandhar. He suggested that Shah’s discomfort with these narratives might be fueling his insecurity and “inferiority complex.” “These narratives are not suiting him,” Pandit said, concluding that Shah should consult a psychiatrist because the actor’s behavior is affecting his mental health.
The comments came as Shah continued to voice support for students at the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute, adding to a series of statements on student protests. Pandit’s remarks have sparked debate about the line between political expression and abusive language in the entertainment industry.
