Anupam Kher hits back at Naseeruddin Shah for his 'sycophant' jibe

New Delhi, Jan 23: Anupam Kher on Wednesday hit back at his 'A Wednesday' co-star Naseeruddin Shah over his "clown" comment, saying the actor is not taken seriously due to his substance use.

Shah had taken a shot at Kher, who has been a vocal supporter of the BJP-led central government, calling the actor a "clown" who should not be taken seriously.

"Someone like Anupam Kher has been very vocal. I don't think, he needs to be taken seriously. He is a clown and any number of his contemporaries from NSD and FTII can attest to his psychopathic nature. It is in his blood, he can't help it," Shah told The Wire in the interview.

In his response, Kher posted a video message on his official Twitter handle and said Shah has a habit of criticising others from the film industry.

"Though I have never said anything bad about you but now I will. You have spent your entire life in frustration, despite achieving so much. If you can criticise Dilip Kumar sahab, Amitabh Bachchan, Rajesh Khanna, Shah Rukh Khan and Virat Kohli, then I'm sure I'm in great company.

"None of them has ever taken your statements seriously as we all know that due to the substances you have been taking all these years, you don't realise the difference between what is right and what is wrong," Kher said.

He further said that if Shah gets "some headlines" by criticising him, then it would be his gift to him. "And do you know what is there in my blood? Hindustan. Just understand this," Kher said.

In the interview, Shah criticised the Citizenship Amendment Act, which has led to widespread protests in the country, as a law that is divisive. He lauded the students and women who are leading the anti-CAA protests while also praising Deepika Padukone and others from the industry for raising their voice against the Act.