00:00An invitation, a last-minute cancellation and then a public outcry.
00:04That is how an Urdu event in Mumbai turned into a national controversy
00:07with Nasiruddin Shah at the centre of it.
00:10In late January 2026, veteran actor Nasiruddin Shah said he was invited
00:14by Mumbai University's Urdu department to attend Jashne Urdu,
00:18a cultural programme celebrating the language and its literary tradition.
00:22But late on the night of January 31st, just hours before the February 1st event,
00:26Shah claimed he was told his presence were no longer required.
00:30Without any explanation or apology.
00:32The situation escalated when organisers allegedly told the audience on February 1st
00:37that Shah himself had declined the invitation, a claim he strongly denies.
00:41On February 4th, Shah detailed the episode in a sharply worded article
00:46linking his disinvitation to what he described as growing intolerance towards dissent and criticism.
00:52In that article, Shah also invoked George Orwell, the British writer best known for 1984
00:57an animal farm whose works warned against authoritarianism, censorship and state control.
01:04To argue that questioning those in power is a democratic duty.
01:07A long-time critic of government policies, Shah has repeatedly spoken out on issues
01:12ranging from free speech and cultural freedom to religious polarization,
01:16often drawing sharp backlash.
01:26So far, Mumbai University has not issued a detailed official explanation for withdrawing the invitation.
01:33Over a career spanning five decades, he has been deeply associated with parallel cinema,
01:38theatre, literature and Urdu poetry, earning respect not just as an actor
01:43but as a serious student of language, culture and history.
01:46Do you need to understand the country's identity or understand the country's identity?
01:51No.
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