Veteran actor Anupam Kher has finally drawn a line under his long-running public spat with Naseeruddin Shah after years of tension. Their feud, which erupted in 2020 over political disagreements and spiralled into sharp interviews and swift social-media jabs, now appears to be easing.
In a recent conversation on Unfiltered by Samdish, Kher shared that the bitterness between them has gradually thawed. The turning point, he revealed, came during an unexpected encounter at filmmaker HD Pathak's memorial service, where Shah approached him and offered an apology. The gesture, Kher suggested, helped dissolve the lingering hostility and opened the door to a more respectful relationship.
Kher recalled the interaction, “I still feel I have great respect for Naseer. However, he sometimes has loose-talk conversations about me." He then recalled the unexpected moment, “We did meet recently where he apologised to me - said, ‘Sorry yaar!' We met at HD Pathak's death."
Describing his admiration for Naseeruddin, the Metro In Dino actor continued, “I really like him a lot, and he is one of the actors who inspired me to get into acting.”
Reflecting on Naseeruddin's previous statements, Anupam also suggested that he might be dealing with emotional complexities. “He (Naseeruddin) is a brilliant and intelligent man, and God has given him so much. Nobody is a bigger star than him in parallel cinema. Yet I think there is some kind of bitterness that targets sometimes me, sometimes Dilip Kumar, and sometimes Rajesh Khanna."
What Had Happened Between Naseeruddin Shah, Anupam Kher?
The tension between the two erupted in 2020 after Naseeruddin Shah's interview with The Wire, in which he praised Deepika Padukone for visiting JNU students during the protests. The demonstrations erupted over a hostel fee hike, administrative issues, and political tensions on campus, which escalated into violent attacks on students and faculty.
Naseeruddin Shah, at the time, criticised Anupam Kher's political stance, remarking, “Someone like Anupam Kher has been very vocal. He's a clown, it's in his blood, he can't help it."
Naseeruddin's remarks didn't sit well with Anupam, who soon responded to them strongly on X. “You have spent your entire life, despite all the success, in frustration. This is not you talking, but all the substances you have consumed for years. They have clouded your judgment," read Anupam's tweet.
Five years later, the two appear to have reconciled. They were last seen together in Neeraj Pandey's 2018 film Aiyaary.
On the professional front, Anupam Kher was most recently seen as Colonel Pratap Raina in Tanvi the Great, while Naseeruddin Shah appeared in Gustaakh Ishq: Kuch Pehle Jaisa, directed by Vibhu Puri.
