Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], October 31 : Veteran actor Annu Kapoor has reacted to Naseeruddin Shah's recent 'Dimagi Naxal' remark, questioning his understanding of the country's interests and welfare while defending the democratic right to express dissent and hold protests.
"He may be good at delivering dialogues, but I doubt how much he genuinely thinks about the country's interests and welfare. I have serious reservations about people who make such statements. It is our democracy that allows them to speak freely, make such statements and hold protests,” he told ANI.
Kapoor's remarks came after Naseeruddin Shah shared a video on Tuesday, in which he wore a badge inscribed with the words 'Dimagi Naxal' while extending his support to Delhi's Jamia Millia Islamia students who have been protesting for the restoration of their students' union.
In the video, Shah said, "I proudly declare that I am Dimagi Naxal. I don't know what other nicknames the watchmen have given to people like me, anti-national, tukde tukde gang, and I don't know what else."
The veteran actor has frequently used his social media handles in recent months to back student protests, including the student protest at SRFTI in Kolkata last week.
Kapoor had earlier spoken about the right to protest and the government's response to demonstrations, asserting that peaceful dissent was a democratic right but violence and damage to public property could not be justified.
The controversy over Shah's remarks has also drawn reactions from Union Minister Kiren Rijiju and filmmaker Ashoke Pandit.
Rijiju criticised Shah's remarks, saying that he had previously viewed the actor only as an artist.
Speaking to the media, Rijiju said, "I didn't even know that Naseeruddin was a person with this kind of 'dimagi Naxal' mindset. I just thought of him as an artist. He seemed like a decent, good artist. So I just viewed him as an artist. Turns out he's a mental Naxal himself."
Earlier, Rijiju had also criticised Shah in a post on X, writing, "I thought Naseeruddin Shah was just an ordinary actor. I used to respect and like him. I never knew that he was a dangerous urban Dimagi Naxal!"
Filmmaker Ashoke Pandit also condemned Shah's remarks, accusing the actor of repeatedly using abusive language and displaying frustration in his public statements.
Pandit said, "I'm not shocked, nor am I surprised by Naseeruddin Shah's abusive language because, since the last few months, in fact for a year, he has been constantly misbehaving and has become a compulsive abuser. The kind of language which he uses, the way he distorts his face, he exposes his frustration. There are reasons behind it, I can understand, and I pity him."
"When I see him totally distorted, totally frustrated on camera, and he's trying to vent out his frustration, the more he vents out his frustration, the more he is getting exposed day by day, every day," Pandit added.
The film producer alleges that Naseeruddin's behaviour stems from ideological differences, suggesting the actor seek psychiatric help.
"Probably one of the reasons why he's feeling insecure is that the films which are doing well in the in the in the country is not suiting him. Films like Kashmir Files, Kerala Story, Dhurandhar. These narratives are not suiting them. They're suffering from an inferiority complex. Hence, this is kind of behaviour with which he's trying to come out. So I think, in the end, I would like to tell him that he should consult a psychiatrist because it's affecting his mental health. A normal person will not behave like this," said Ashoke Pandit.
The criticism of Shah's remarks follows his video supporting the Jamia Millia Islamia students' demand for the restoration of their students' union and his recent expressions of solidarity with student demonstrations.