When film and theatre actor Naseeruddin Shah called Rajesh Khanna a “poor actor” responsible for bringing in mediocrity into Hindi cinema, it was anybody’s guess that the veteran had stirred a hornet’s nest. Rajesh Khanna has had a fan following and support that few from his generation or any generation for that matter, can lay claim to in the industry and one of his many ardent supporters happens to be lyricist and writer Salim Khan. Khan called out Naseer for his comment on social media on Wednesday.
“An actor passed my house and saw a big crowd waiting for Salman. He called me up to say he has not seen anything like this before. I told him I have seen bigger crowds many times outside Rajesh Khanna’s house. He was the first and the last superstar of the millennium. Anyone calling him a mediocre actor should know that no one can reach these heights unless he has something extraordinary to offer,” Salim wrote on Twitter.
Taking a dig at Shah’s comment perhaps he added, “Frustration and bitterness are difficult to cure but carrying the same for such a long time is unheard of.”
Salim wasn’t the only one to speak up after the comment though. Rajesh Khanna’s daughter Twinkle, wife Dimple and filmmaker Karan Johar also made their disappointment amply clear. To which, Naseer apologised by saying, “I apologise to those who were personally offended, my intention was not to attack him (Rajesh Khanna).”
