Filmfare Editor-in-Chief Jitesh Pillaai writes a heartfelt note on the incomparable genius of Naseeruddin Shah, an actor who not only plays characters, but becomes them. From Manthan and Masoom to Ijaazat and Mirza Ghalib, here we celebrate an artist whose art continues to inspire generations.
He makes you believe. In a cause. In a commitment. If he fights for the dispossessed, then he will intimidate you into believing that the poor cowherd men are in danger against industrialization, as he did in Manthan (1976). He can riot like in Junoon (1978). Okay, so he cheated, but you want Shabana Azmi to forgive him in Masoom (1983) and for that heartbreaking final scene with his elder brother in Monsoon Wedding (2001) alone, Naseeruddin Shah deserves our ovation and admiration.
If you want to see the technique, you have to see it on stage. What a wonderful beast of an actor. His voice modulation, his ability to create a mosaic of memorable characters like he did in Ismat Apa Ke Naam.
Nishant (1975), Katha (1982), Sparsh (1980), Aakrosh (1980), Chakra (1981), Ijaazat (1987), Mirza Ghalib (1988) – I have lost count of the number of times he has enthralled.
As a movie buff, I can’t even imagine movies without it. I have been told that he is irascible; He has a huge temperament and can be inelegant on many occasions. But my fleeting encounters with him have always been memorable and I will keep that happy memory.
A great performance is when the actors make you look beyond yourself, show you a grain of truth and want you to rediscover another world. They show you their wounds and they show you their soul. They change you forever. Happy Birthday Mister. Eternally grateful to have been able to learn to love cinema in the times that you have lived through it.
