Veteran Actor Naseeruddin Shah apologized publicly for his rude comment on Pakistan’s culture. He posted Facebook posts and expressed his feelings about public backlash.
Indian actor Naseeruddin Shah found himself amidst a controversy. When he made statements suggesting that Sindhi is no longer spoken in Pakistan. Speaking about his latest TV series Taj in a promotional interview. He claimed, “They [Pakistan] have Balochi, they have Bari, they have Saraiki and they have Pushto. Sindhi is, of course, no longer spoken in Pakistan.”
These remarks, made during promotions for his web series Taj: Divided By Blood, sparked a wave of criticism and strong backlash from Pakistanis, especially from the Sindhi-speaking community. Shah has now taken to his official Facebook page to issue a sincere and official apology. Acknowledging his mistake and expressing regret for any offense caused.
In that social media post, the actor wrote – “Ok I apologize to the entire Sindhi-speaking population of Pakistan. Who I think are deeply hurt by my wrong opinion. I agree that I was misinformed, but does this warrant crucifixion? Let him be free, as Jesus said. In fact, after being considered a wise man for many years. I quite enjoy being called an ignorant and pretending intellectual. This is quite a change”.
Actor’s clarification and support
Before this apology on Sunday. Shah had admitted a few day ago that his statement was indeed erroneous and said it was an “unnecessary” controversy. He was also in a soup for his other comment about the relationship between Marathi and Farsi languages.
“Two completely unnecessary controversies seem to have erupted over things I’ve said recently. One regarding my mis-statement about the Sindhi language in Pakistan. I was in error there,” he had shared.
Pakistani actor Adnan Siddiqui also appreciated Shah’s apology last week and tweeted. “Apologising for a mistake is indeed a true testament to a person’s character and intellect. Naseer Sahib’s recent gesture has only deepened my admiration for him. It takes strength and humility to acknowledge one’s errors and take responsibility for them.”