The week kicked off with an old war of words between Anupam Kher and Naseeruddin Shah making a comeback on social media. A throwback clip of Naseeruddin calling Anupam a “sycophantic clown” over his political views resurfaced online, soon followed by Anupam’s fiery response, in which he claimed the veteran actor’s judgment was “clouded” by the substances he consumed. As the old feud once again grabbed headlines, Anupam has now broken his silence on the viral videos and revealed where he and Naseeruddin stand today.
Anupam Kher hits back
On Monday, Anupam reacted to the six-year-old videos resurfacing and going viral on social media. Taking to Instagram, the veteran actor shared a video in which he addressed the renewed buzz around the old feud and revealed that he and Naseeruddin have long buried the hatchet.
The actor claimed that the old videos have resurfaced as part of an attempt to target and troll him for speaking out about the Ram Mandir donation embezzlement controversy.
In the video, Anupam said in Hindi, “A few days ago, I visited the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya and spoke about my feelings. Some people didn’t like what I said because it didn’t fit their agenda. They wanted to create a narrative and started looking for ways to target and troll me, to abuse me. An entire ecosystem was formed just to attack me. They said many things about me, but I only enjoyed it more because they worked so hard. When they had nothing else, they dug up a six-year-old video of Naseeruddin Shah, hoping to damage my reputation.”
Opening up about the current status of their relationship, the 71-year-old actor said that he has a cordial bond with Naseeruddin despite their past differences.
“In reality, Naseer and I have met, hugged each other and respect one another. People even told me to let the matter go because it had been eight or nine months, but they forgot that I had already responded to that video back then and expressed how I felt,” Anupam added.
At the moment, Anupam is in Ayodhya shooting for his next movie Shri Ram Bhoomi. He also spoke about the Ram Mandir donation embezzlement controversy, stressing that those responsible for the alleged theft of donation money at the Ram temple in Ayodhya should be caught and punished.
Last week, Anupam told PTI, “It does not reduce the dignity or prestige of the temple. It took 500 years for this temple to be established. If a few people indulge in such acts, it should not affect the temple’s sanctity. If there’s a theft in a house, you don’t blame or abandon the house itself. What happened was wrong and should never have happened. But Sanatan Dharma and Lord Ram have existed since ancient times, across the ages. Those responsible for it must certainly be caught and punished.”
What do we know about Anupam and Naseeruddin’s feud
Back in 2020, Anupam and Naseeruddin found themselves embroiled in a bitter war of words after locking horns over their differing views. In an interview, Naseeruddin had called Anupam a sycophant and a ‘clown’. Speaking about Anupam’s pro-government stance on social media, he told The Wire, “Someone like Anupam Kher has been very vocal. I don’t think he needs to be taken seriously. He’s a clown. Any number of his contemporaries from NFD and FTII can attest to his sycophantic nature. It’s in his blood; he can’t help it.”
Responding to the dig, Anupam tweeted a video where he said, “Janab Naseeruddin Shah Sahab, I watched the interview you gave about me. You said that I am clown, and should not be taken seriously; that I am a sycophant and that all of it is in my blood. Thanks for these compliments, but I don’t take what you said seriously at all. However, I never bad-mouthed you, or said anything rude to you. But now I would like to say that you have spent your entire life, despite all the success, in frustration. If you can criticise Dilip Kumar, Amitabh Bachchan, Rajesh Khanna, Shah Rukh Khan, and Virat Kohli, then I am sure I am in great company. Also, none of these people took your statements seriously. Because we know that this is not you talking but all the substances you’ve consumed for years. They’ve clouded your judgement of what is right and what is wrong. If saying bad things about me gets you headlines for a couple of days, then this is my gift to you. May God keep you happy.” In 2025, Anupam revealed that Naseeruddin later apologised to him in person.