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Anupam Kher has revealed that Naseeruddin Shah recently apologised to him years after their explosive 2020 feud, where Shah called him a “clown.”
Veteran actors Anupam Kher and Naseeruddin Shah, once embroiled in a highly publicised feud, appear to have finally buried the hatchet. Their bitter clash in 2020 — sparked after Kher voiced pro-government views in the aftermath of Deepika Padukone’s visit to JNU — had escalated into harsh public remarks, including Shah calling Kher a “clown” and questioning his “blood” and upbringing. Kher had reacted sharply on social media, accusing Shah of being “frustrated” despite his success.
But in a recent conversation with Unfiltered by Samdish, Kher revealed that Shah has since extended an apology.
“He said, ‘Sorry yaar’”
Speaking about the incident during an interview recorded around Independence Day, Kher said, “I still feel I have great respect for Naseer. However, he sometimes has loose-talk conversations about me.”
The actor then recounted their unexpected meeting at filmmaker H.D. Pathak’s memorial service. “We did meet recently where he apologised to me — said, ‘Sorry yaar!’ We met at HD Pathak’s death.”
Kher described the moment warmly, saying Shah hugged him as they greeted each other. “I really like him a lot, and he is one of the actors who inspired me to get into acting,” he added.
However, Kher admitted that Shah’s occasional comments still puzzle him, “Sometimes he just says things like that.”
“There is some kind of bitterness”
Kher further expressed concern for Shah, acknowledging his brilliance while also hinting at deeper emotional undercurrents. “He is a brilliant and intelligent man and God has given him so much. Nobody is a bigger star than him in parallel cinema. Yet I think there is some kind of bitterness that targets sometimes me, sometimes Dilip Kumar, and sometimes Rajesh Khanna.”
A look back at the 2020 feud
The clash between the actors ignited when Shah, in an interview with The Wire, praised Deepika Padukone for standing with JNU students and dismissed Kher’s political commentary. Shah had said, “Someone like Anupam Kher has been very vocal… He’s a clown… it’s in his blood, he can’t help it.”
Kher retaliated on X (formerly Twitter), stating, “You have spent your entire life, despite all the success, in frustration… This is not you talking but all the substances you have consumed for years. They have clouded your judgment.”
He insisted that being criticised alongside icons like Dilip Kumar and Amitabh Bachchan placed him in “great company.”
Despite their disagreement, the two last collaborated in Neeraj Pandey’s Aiyaary (2018), starring Sidharth Malhotra. Now, with Shah’s apology and Kher’s willingness to move on, one of Bollywood’s most talked-about rifts seems to have softened — at least for now.
Yatamanyu Narain is a Sub-Editor at News18.com with a passion for all things entertainment. Whether he’s breaking the latest Bollywood news or chatting with rising stars in the OTT world, he’s always on the hun… Read More
November 29, 2025, 19:00 IST