Naseeruddin Shah questions silence of industry while standing firm on support for Diljit Dosanjh

Veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah has addressed the controversy surrounding his now-missing Facebook post, in which he had publicly supported singer-actor Diljit Dosanjh during the ongoing row over Sardaar Ji 3. Clarifying the confusion, Shah said he did not delete the post himself and asserted that he has nothing to justify.

In an article penned for The Indian Express, Shah wrote, “If this is taken to be a justification of my Facebook post (which has been taken down, not deleted by me) in support of Diljit Dosanjh, so be it. But the fact is I need to justify nothing.” He added that he stood by his words and wasn’t let down by the silence of his colleagues. “Nor am I discouraged by the lack of support from the film industry. I wasn’t expecting any — they all either have too much to lose or they disagree.”

The original post, which is no longer visible on his Facebook profile, came shortly after criticism erupted over Pakistani actor Hania Aamir being cast in Sardaar Ji 3. Shah expressed solidarity with Diljit and criticised those targeting him unfairly. “The dirty tricks deptt of Jumla Party has been awaiting a chance to attack him,” he had written. “They think they’ve got it at last.”

Shah defended Diljit’s lack of involvement in the casting and condemned the attempts to stir division between Indian and Pakistani artists. “What these goons want is to put an end to personal interaction between the people of India and Pakistan. I have close relatives and some dear friends there and no one can stop me from meeting them or sending them love whenever I feel like it.”

To those who trolled him with hateful remarks like “Pakistan nahin ab kabristaan,” Shah quoted poet Jigar Moradabadi, saying: “Mujhe de na ghaiz mein dhamkiyaan, giren lakh baar ye bijliyan…” — a poetic stand against hate. He later reiterated, “I have NOT deleted my post about Diljit Dosanjh. I don't care a fiddler’s fart for backlash.”

The controversy comes in the backdrop of rising cross-border tensions following the Pahalgam attack and India’s Operation Sindoor. Sardaar Ji 3 released overseas on June 27 but has not hit Indian theatres.