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Naseeruddin Shah called Shah Rukh Khan a ‘boring actor’, praised Akshay Kumar’s talent: ‘His acting shows signs of…’

In an old interview that has now resurfaced online, Naseeruddin Shah took a sharp dig at Shah Rukh Khan while praising Akshay Kumar’s acting.

Naseeruddin Shah says he is fond of Akshay Kumar as an actor.

Naseeruddin Shah has worked with Shah Rukh Khan in several films.

Veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah, often regarded as one of the most skilled and effortless performers in Indian cinema, has never shied away from expressing candid opinions about his colleagues. Over the years, he has made headlines for his sharp takes on several film icons, from Rajesh Khanna and Dilip Kumar to Amitabh Bachchan. Now, an old interview of Naseer has resurfaced online and is gaining traction. In the conversation, the acclaimed actor opened up about his views on mainstream Bollywood stars and surprisingly expressed deep admiration for Akshay Kumar.

When asked if he watches films of popular stars like the Khans, Kumars, or Devgns and appreciates their acting talent, he replied candidly: “No, and I don’t even make an effort to watch them. I have worked with many of them but none of them have really impressed me. But there is only Akshay Kumar, whom I admire a lot, because without any guidance, or godfather and support he made his own place. And now his acting shows signs of capability. After having done it for so long, he has become a good actor.”

The interviewer then pointed out that Shah Rukh Khan, too, had achieved tremendous success without any backing. To this, he responded: “Yeah, and for that I have great admiration for Shah Rukh. But as an actor, he is becoming boring.”

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Naseeruddin Shah has shared the screen with both Akshay Kumar and Shah Rukh Khan in multiple films. His most notable collaboration with Akshay was in Mohra, while with Shah Rukh, he appeared in Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa, Chamatkar, and Main Hoon Na.

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Interestingly, filmmaker Farah Khan, who directed Main Hoon Na, recently recalled Naseeruddin Shah’s casting experience during a conversation on IFTDA Official’s YouTube channel. When asked about it, she laughed and said, “That’s a very long story. Naseer will kill me.” She then explained, “I had first gone to Naseer to play the villain’s role. We went to many people for the villain’s role. We first went to Naseer and he made a fuss and you know how Naseer is… he is very moody. He said I can’t do it.”

He eventually played played the role of Brig Shekhar Prasad Sharma whose death triggers the events of the film.

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