Naseeruddin Shah Says He Was 'Ill Informed' About Pak's Sindhi Community But Asks If It Was Necessary To 'Crucify' Him
Actor Naseeruddin Shah has apologised and claimed he was "ill informed" when he asserted that Sindhi was no longer spoken in Pakistan.
New Delhi: Actor Naseeruddin Shah has apologised and claimed he was "ill informed" when he asserted that Sindhi was no longer spoken in Pakistan. But the veteran questioned whether it was appropriate to "crucify" him for his comments. "They have Balochi, Bari, Siraiki, and Pushto," according to Shah, who reportedly said this during the advertising for his most recent show Taj. "Of course, Sindhi is no longer spoken in Pakistan," the actor had said.
Many Pakistanis took offence to the actor's views, which he made on the Tried and Refused Productions YouTube channel, and criticised him for being incorrect. On his Facebook page on Sunday, Shah apologised on behalf of "the entire Sindhi speaking population of Pakistan." The actor joked that he was enjoying people calling him a "pretend intellectual".
The actor wrote, "OK OK I apologise to the entire Sindhi speaking population of Pakistan who I seem to have deeply offended by my mistaken opinion. I admit I was ill informed but is it necessary to crucify me for that? “Let him who is free from…” as Jesus said. Actually I’m quite enjoying being called ‘ignorant’ and ‘pretend intellectual’ after many years of being mistaken for an intelligent person. It’s quite a change!”
Prior to his apologies on Sunday, Shah had previously acknowledged that his claim was incorrect and that the debate was "unnecessary." He was also in hot water for his previous remark regarding the connection between Marathi and Farsi.
He had shared, "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."
Appreciating Shah's apology, Pakistani actor Adnan Siddiqui 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.”
Naseeruddin Shah was last seen as the Mughal Emperor Akbar in 'Taj.'
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