‘Even Naseeruddin Shah’s enemies respect him’: Paresh Rawal despite political differences | Bollywood News

6 min readNew DelhiJul 17, 2026 07:22 PM Paresh Rawal served as a Member of Parliament for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) from 2014 to 2019, while veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah has often been critical of the ruling party and its politics. Despite their ideological differences, Rawal has always spoken about Shah with immense admiration, once saying, “Even Naseeruddin Shah’s enemies admire him. There is something about him that doesn’t let you take your eyes off him.”
In a recent interview with Vickey Lalwani, Rawal reflected on his admiration for Shah, his influence as an actor, and how political differences have never affected their mutual respect. The conversation began with Rawal discussing his performance as a blind man in Aankhen. He revealed that he drew inspiration from Shah’s acclaimed performance in Sparsh.
“I watched Sparsh multiple times while doing Aankhen. I haven’t seen any actor portray a blind man as beautifully as Naseeruddin Shah did in Indian cinema. There is a sparkle in the eyes of a person who is blind. It may sound like an oxymoron, but what I mean is that his expressions were perfect. He broke away from the stereotypes and caricatures that had been created around such characters.”
‘I can’t be casual around him’
Speaking about their equation, Rawal clarified that while they are not close friends in the conventional sense, his respect for Shah runs deep. “We are not the kind of friends who visit each other’s homes. We speak over the phone sometimes. I can’t be casual around him because I have tremendous respect for him. He isn’t the kind of person who opens up to everyone, and he makes that very obvious. Besides being a fantastic actor, he is also a wonderful human being.”
‘We never argued over politics’
Rawal acknowledged that he and Shah have vastly different political views but said they have never allowed those differences to affect their relationship. “We may have different political ideologies, but we have never argued over them. I had once said in an interview that if Naseeruddin Shah, Aamir Khan or Shah Rukh Khan raises a concern, I will hear them out. I won’t reject what they say outright. I will try to understand their point of view. If I feel they are wrong, I will tell them.”
‘You simply can’t take your eyes off him’
Rawal also recalled the first time he saw Shah and Om Puri, long before he worked with either of them. “Naseeruddin Shah and Om Puri were not conventional good-looking heroes. A friend from IFTDA, Subhash Dangay, would often tell me about this actor from NSD (National School of Drama). I became curious, and one day he took me to where Naseer lived. That evening I saw Naseeruddin Shah and Om Puri standing in the parking lot. I hadn’t even seen their work then, but I was mesmerised. They had something magnetic about them. Once you’ve seen Naseeruddin Shah, you simply can’t take your eyes off him. The same was true of Om Puri.”
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He added that he later met Shah properly while working in theatre. “I used to be hypnotised him. I was always trying to understand what made him so fascinating.”
Their first film together
Recalling their first collaboration, Rawal said it happened on the sets of Lorie. “The first film we worked on together was Lorie. It starred Farooq Shaikh, Naseeruddin Shah, Shabana Azmi and Swaroop Sampat. I had a very small role. Director Vijay Talwar knew I would happily do even a tiny part if it meant working with Naseeruddin Shah. That’s where I officially met him. I had a few scenes with him and thoroughly enjoyed the experience.”
‘That was my real award’
Rawal said that appreciation from Shah has meant more to him than any award. “I have never looked for validation through awards. Once the director says ‘cut’, I move on. But when Naseeruddin Shah called me after watching Mumbai Meri Jaan and said, ‘Jiyo yaar jiyo, kya kaam kiya hai,’ that was the biggest award of my life.”
Defending Naseeruddin Shah
Rawal also defended Shah over the backlash he received after expressing concerns about his children’s safety in India. “People adore Naseeruddin Shah. Even his enemies admire him. He has that quality. Sometimes people end up saying certain things. Don’t judge him for one statement. That’s unfair. It isn’t our culture to target someone’s children because of what they said. You perform at Prithvi Theatre. If someone really wanted to harm you, they could. But that’s not how our society functions.”Story continues below this ad
Rawal was referring to a comment Shah made in 2018 during a conversation with Karwaan-e-Mohabbat. “I was given a religious education…But Ratna [Pathak Shah, Naseeruddin’s wife] did not get any religious education. We chose not to give a religious education to our children. So I fear for my children… because if a mob gathers around them and asks them are you a Hindu or Muslim, they will not have any answer. They have no religion,” he had said.
Ratna Pathak Shah on friendships beyond politics
Earlier, in an interview with The Lallantop, Ratna Pathak Shah, who is married to Naseeruddin Shah, had explained why she and her husband continue to maintain warm relationships with colleagues like Anupam Kher and Paresh Rawal despite political disagreements.
“I was born into a family where my father came from an RSS background and my mother was a Commun. There were constant debates and arguments at home, yet we all lived happily together. Disagreeing with someone’s opinion doesn’t mean disliking the person. This idea that anyone who disagrees with you should be cancelled is very new. It is not our culture.”
She further added: “They’re making Indians fight with each other like children in a school playground, the way bullies treat weaker kids. Do we want to become like that? No. I won’t become one, nor will I let my children become one. Whoever I can influence, I will tell them that we cannot become bullies. We have to become cultured human beings. That is our culture.”