Award-winning actor Naseeruddin Shah has come forward again to reaffirm his stance supporting singer-actor Diljit Dosanjh, stating that he has not deleted his earlier post despite online backlash. In a strongly worded follow-up shared on his verified Facebook account, Shah addressed rumors of a retraction.
“I have NOT deleted my post about Diljit Dosanjh. I don’t care a fiddler’s fart for backlash,” Shah wrote, making it clear that criticism will not silence him.
Citing German Enlightenment philosopher Georg Christoph Lichtenberg, he added:
“It is almost impossible to carry the torch of truth through a crowd without singeing somebody’s beard.”
The controversy began after Diljit was criticized for working with Pakistani actress Hania Aamir in the film Sardaar Ji 3. Many on social media accused him of being “unpatriotic,” with political overtones adding fuel to the fire. Shah countered the narrative, pointing out the misplaced anger.
“He was not responsible for the casting. The director was. But since Diljit is globally recognized, he’s being targeted unfairly,” Shah wrote previously. “His mind is not poisoned—that’s why he accepted the casting.”
He accused certain political factions of attempting to destroy cultural ties and people-to-people connections between India and Pakistan, something Shah said he refuses to allow.
“I have close relatives and dear friends in Pakistan. No one can stop me from loving them or staying in touch with them,” he insisted. “And for those who’ll say ‘Go to Pakistan’—my reply is simple: Go to Kailasa.”
Shah’s stance has been widely shared by fans and critics alike, who see his words as a defense of artistic integrity and cross-border harmony in a time of rising hostility.
