Don't care about those criticising my Padma awards: Anupam Kher

Mumbai, Jan 29: Veteran Bollywood actor Anupam Kher today said those criticising his selection for the Padma Bhushan award are doing so to get attention.

The 60-year-old actor, who was trolled on social media with many claiming that he got the honour for his alleged closeness with BJP, said he pities such people.

Twitteratti found a tweet by Kher in 2010 where he had slammed the Padma awards, claiming they lacked credibility.

"I pity those who think that I am being rewarded by the BJP... I am being criticised because losers have this kind of attitude, winners don't have this kind of attitude," he said in an interview to CNN-IBN.

When asked to respond to an open letter by Salman Nizami, a Congress leader from J&K, Kher shot back, "Who is he? People are criticising me to get attention which they did not have earlier."

The actor said Ghulam Nabi Azad, who had tweeted a link to Nizami's letter, was a friend.

"Ghulam Nabi Azad is a very dear friend. I am surprised. He criticised me just to please the Congress High Command," he said.

PTI