"Dilip Kumar didn't do enough, didn't bother to groom anyone": Naseeruddin Shah

Naseeruddin Shah has paid a strong homage to the late Dilip Kumar. The legendary actor passed away after suffering through a prolonged illness. Dilip Kumar breathed his last on July 7, 2021. It was later revealed that Dilip Kumar had been under cancer treatment for the last few months. Naseeruddin Shah was also recuperating from pneumonia in the same hospital where Dilip Kumar was.

Saira Banu's visit to Naseeruddin Shah

Naseeruddin revealed that Saira Banu had come to check on him. He added that he wanted to meet Dilip Kumar but he passed away the same day he left. Naseeruddin also added that Saira Banu had come to his room and put her hand on his head. He said Saira Banu blessed him and said, "Sahab was asking about you." Shah told a leading website that he was deeply moved and wanted to meet Dilip Kumar before leaving.

Naseeruddin Shah has also dropped a strongly worded opinion piece on Dilip Kumar. The piece is making quite some noise and hasn't gone down well with many as it raises strong questions on the thespian. Accusing him of not enough to uplift Hindi cinema, Shah told Indian Express, "Given the position he was in, it is more than evident he didn't do enough apart from acting and being involved in social causes close to his heart."

"Didn't bother to groom anyone"

He also added, "He never passed on the benefit of his experience, didn't bother to groom anyone, and apart from his pre-1970s performances, left behind no significant lessons for future actors. It's baffling why a man as conscious of his place in history as he was should be reluctant to record his interaction with some of the admittedly great filmmakers of his time or say anything really informative about the nature of his work and technique. I wish, at some point, he had at least been forthright about the travails involved in retaining legions of devoted fans."