Naseeruddin Shah remains unapologetic about Diljit Dosanjh post, says he 'doesn’t care a fiddler’s fart'

Veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah has once again spoken out, firmly standing by his earlier post in support of Diljit Dosanjh, who is under scrutiny for acting alongside Pakistani actor Hania Aamir in Sardaar Ji 3. The controversy has intensified after India’s recent Operation Sindoor and the Pahalgam terror attack, reigniting public sentiment around India-Pakistan relations.

On social media, Shah addressed the disappearance of his earlier Facebook post, clarifying, “I have NOT deleted my post about Diljit Dosanjh. I don’t care a fiddler’s fart for backlash.”

Shah had previously taken a strong stand for Diljit, stating, “I STAND FIRMLY WITH DILJIT. The dirty tricks deptt of Jumla Party has been awaiting a chance to attack him. They think they’ve got it at last. He was not responsible for the casting of the film, the director was.”

The film, which released overseas on June 27, was not released in India. Since then, Diljit has been facing social media criticism for working with a Pakistani artist amid heightened national security concerns. The film’s casting, according to Shah, shouldn’t be linked to Dosanjh alone.

Further defending the actor, Shah added, “But no one knows who the director is whereas Diljit is known the world over, and he agreed to the cast because his mind is not poisoned.”

Shah also pointed to the larger issue of political narratives aiming to cut off people-to-people ties between India and Pakistan. “What these goons want is to put an end to personal interaction between the people of India and Pakistan,” he wrote. He continued, “I have close relatives and some dear friends there, and no one can stop me from meeting them or sending them love. And my response to those who say ‘Go to Pakistan’ is—‘Go to Kailasa’.”

However, the post is no longer visible on his Facebook timeline. The next day, he shared a quote by philosopher Georg Christoph Lichtenberg: “It is almost impossible to carry the torch of truth through a crowd without singeing somebody's beard.”

In response, filmmaker Ashoke Pandit criticised Shah’s remarks, telling ANI, “He calls us goons. It shows the frustration and restlessness in him. We are not shocked.”