Paresh Rawal Says Naseeruddin Shah’s Enemies Love Him Too: ‘We Have Different Political Opinions But We Have Never Argued’ | Hindi Movie News

Paresh Rawalwho served as a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Member of Parliament from 2014 to 2019, and a former actor. Naseeruddin Shah for a long time they have been standing on different sides of politics. Although Shah often criticized the ruling party and its policies, Rawal always praised him as an actor. Summarizing his past honors, Rawal said, “Even Naseeruddin Shah’s enemies admire him.In a recent interview with Vickey Lalwani, Rawal spoke about his admiration for Shah, the influence he had on his career, and why their differences of opinion never came to mutual respect.The conversation started when Rawal revisited his role as a disabled person in ‘Aankhen’. He revealed that he repeatedly watched Shah’s performance in ‘Sparsh’ while preparing for the film.“I watched Sparsh several times when he was making Aankhen. I have never seen any actor portray a blind man as beautifully as Naseeruddin Shah in an Indian movie. There is a sparkle in the face of a blind man. It may sound like an oxymoron, but what I mean is that his looks were perfect. He was different from the people who made him.”Regarding their relationship, Rawal explained that although they are not traditionally close friends, they have always respected Shah. “We’re not the kind of friends who hang out at each other’s houses. We talk on the phone sometimes. I can’t be comfortable with him because I respect him so much. He’s not the type of person who’s comfortable with anyone, and he shows that clearly. Besides being a fun actor, he’s also a wonderful person.”“Rawal also admitted that the two differed greatly in their political beliefs but said that these differences did not affect their relationship. “We may have different political views, but we have never argued about it. I once said in an interview that if Naseeruddin Shah, Aamir Khan or Shah Rukh Khan it brings anxiety, I feel. I can’t deny what he says publicly. I will try to understand their point of view. If I think they are wrong, I will tell them.”Recalling the first time he saw Shah and the late Om Puri, Rawal said he was impressed by their presence even before seeing their work.“Naseeruddin Shah and Om Puri were not good-looking heroes. My friend from IFTDA, Subhash Dangay, used to tell me about this actor from NSD (National School of Drama). I was intrigued, and one day he took me to where Naseer lived. That evening I saw Naseeruddin Shah and Om Puri standing in the parking lot. I hadn’t even seen their work at the time, but I was disappointed. They had something magnetic about them. When you see Naseeruddin Shah, you cannot take your eyes off him. It was the same with Om Puri.”He added that their acquaintance began while working in the theater.I always tried to understand what made him so interesting.Rawal went on to recall that his first chance to work with Shah came in ‘Lorie’. “The first film we did together was Lorie. It starred Farooq Shaikh, Naseeruddin Shah, Shabana Azmi and Swaroop Sampat. I had a very small part. Director Vijay Talwar knows that I will happily do even a small role if it means working with Naseeruddin Shah. That’s when I officially met him. I had several experiences with him and I really enjoyed them. “For Rawal, Shah’s appreciation has always been more important than corporate awards. “I never looked for approval through awards. When the manager said ‘cut’, I went anyway. But when Naseeruddin Shah called me after watching Mumbai Meri Jaan and said, ‘Jiyo yaar jiyo, kya kaam kiya hai,’ that was the biggest award of my life.”Rawal also defended Shah over the criticism he faced after voting in 2018 on his children’s security in India.“People love Naseeruddin Shah. Even his enemies admire him. He has this quality. Sometimes people can say certain things. Don’t judge him with one word. It’s unfair. It’s not our culture to target someone’s children because of what he said. You do it at Prithvi Theatre. If someone really wanted to hurt you, they would. But that’s not how our team works. “Rawal was referring to Shah’s comments during an interview with Karwaan-e-Mohabbat in 2018, where the actor spoke about choosing not to raise his children with religion.“I was educated about religion… But Ratna [Pathak Shah, Naseeruddin’s wife] they did not study religion. We chose not to teach our children about religion. That’s why I fear for my children… because when a group of people surrounds them and asks if they are Hindu or Muslim, they won’t answer anything. They have no religion,” he said.Earlier, in an interview with ‘The Lallantop’, Ratna Pathak Shah explained why she and her husband continue to share good relations with co-workers like Anupam Kher and Paresh Rawal despite their different views on politics.“I was born in a family where my father was from the RSS and my mother was a Communist. There were constant arguments at home, but we all lived happily together. Disagreeing with someone’s opinion does not mean not liking that person. The idea that anyone who disagrees with you should be fired is very new. It is not our culture.”He added: “They are making Indians fight like children in the playground, the way bullies treat weak children. Do we want to be like that? No.”