Veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah has stirred conversation online after posting — and later deleting — a message of support for singer-actor Diljit Dosanjh amidst the Sardaar Ji 3 controversy.
Following the removal of the post, Shah shared a cryptic quote that many believe was a response to the criticism he faced.
Shah had initially voiced his solidarity with Diljit on Facebook, defending the actor from political and public outrage over the casting of Pakistani actress Hania Aamir in Sardaar Ji 3. His post condemned the political targeting of Dosanjh and questioned the “selective hatred” being directed toward him.
However, the backlash prompted Shah to delete the statement.
Soon after, he posted a quote from 18th-century philosopher Georg Christoph Lichtenberg: “It is almost impossible to carry the torch of truth through a crowd without singeing somebody’s beard.”
The post sparked a mix of support and criticism.
While many users applauded his courage, others accused him of consistently being critical of the country.
“It is a free country… but what others are doing is also their right,” one user wrote.
Another remarked, “Truth does not always win, only the crowd and power does.”
Critics, however, called out what they perceived as selective outrage. “Maybe it’s time to leave the torch… and the timeline,” one user commented, accusing Shah of deleting posts when confronted and using social media to share “dramatic monologues wrapped in communal bias.”
In his original post, now deleted, Shah had written: “I STAND FIRMLY WITH DILJIT. The dirty tricks deptt of Jumla Party has been awaiting a chance to attack him… What these goons want is to put an end to personal interaction between the people of India and Pakistan… And my response to those who will say ‘Go to Pakistan’ is ‘GO TO KAILASA’.”
The backlash against Diljit Dosanjh began after his film Sardaar Ji 3 was revealed to star Pakistani actress Hania Aamir, despite the informal ban on Pakistani artists in India following the recent Pahalgam terror attack. Tensions escalated when Diljit posted a teaser of a song featuring the actress, prompting criticism from fans and industry bodies alike.
With the film not releasing in India, but premiering overseas, several film associations — including AICWA — wrote letters to top government officials urging action. Some even appealed to the makers of Border 2 to reconsider casting Diljit.
Responding to the controversy, Diljit told BBC Asia Network: “I had signed the film back in February, way before the attack… If they decided to release it overseas, I will have to support them.”
He also confirmed that he is one of the co-producers of the film.