Anupam Kher Reveals Naseeruddin Shah Apologised Years After Calling Him A ‘Clown’, Said, ‘Sorry…’

When you think about the most well-known veteran actors in Bollywood, we are sure that Anupam Kher and Naseeruddin Shah will be among the names that pop into your mind. However, did you know that they were once embroiled in a highly publicised feud? For the unversed, their feud was not something related to the film industry; rather, it was something entirely political. In 2020, social media users saw the actors go at each other, especially after Naseeruddin called Anupam Kher a ‘clown’ over his pro-government stance. While most fans at the time thought the feud would never end, in a recent interview, Anupam revealed that Naseeruddin later apologised to him in person. 

Anupam Kher revealed that Naseeruddin Shah hugged him and apologised to him for calling him a ‘clown’ 

The clash between actors, Anupam Kher and Naseeruddin Shah, which dates back five years to 2020, has apparently finally come to an end. Anupam Kher revealed the same in a recent conversation with Samdish on his YouTube channel, Unfiltered by Samdish (and a fantastic team), which was released on November 29, 2025. In the episode titled My Awkwardly Funny Anupam Kher Interview!, he shared that the apology came unexpectedly, especially since it happened while the two were attending filmmaker HD Pathak’s memorial service. Referring to Nasiruddin, Anupam stated: 

“I still have great respect for him. However, he sometimes speaks loosely about me. We did meet recently, where he apologised and said, ‘Sorry, yaar!’ We met at HD Pathak’s death. When we met there, he hugged me, because I always hug him. I genuinely like him a lot, and he is one of the actors who inspired me to take up acting. But I think sometimes he just says things like that.” 

Furthermore, voicing his opinion on Naseeruddin Shah as a person, Anupam revealed that while he did not want to say it out loud, it is true that Naseeruddin is a ‘brilliant and intelligent’ man who has achieved so much thanks to God’s blessings. He also claimed that there is no bigger star than Nasiruddin in the film industry. While he thinks highly of the actor as a person, Anupam acknowledged that Nasiruddin might be facing some emotional undercurrents, stating: 

“Yet I think there is some kind of bitterness that targets sometimes me, sometimes Dilip Kumar, and sometimes Rajesh Khanna.” 

A look back at Anupam Kher and Naseeruddin Shah’s feud in 2020 

The feud between the two veteran actors initially started when, in 2020, Naseeruddin, in an interview with The Wire, praised fellow actor, Deepika Padukone, for visiting JNU students, and took a jab at Anupam for his pro-government stance on social media. Calling Anupam a sycophant and a clown, he stated: 

“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.” 

Anupam Kher was clearly not happy with Naseeruddin’s remarks, which led him, in turn, to post a long video on X (formerly Twitter). In response to his remarks, Anupam insisted that being criticised alongside icons like Shah Rukh Khan and Amitabh Bachchan placed him in great company. He stated: 

“Despite achieving so much success, you have spent your entire life in frustration. If you can criticise Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan and Virat Kohli, then I am sure I am in great company…This is not you talking, but all the substances you have consumed for years. They have clouded your judgment.” 

What are your thoughts on Anupam Kher and Naseeruddin Shah’s reconciliation after their highly publicised feud in 2020? Let us know. 

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