Veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah disinvited from Mumbai University event, sparks controversy

Veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah has spoken out after being disinvited from a Mumbai University event at the last moment, calling the experience both insulting and disappointing . The actor, known for acclaimed films like Nishant , Aakrosh , Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro , Masoom , and Sparsh , revealed the incident in a strongly-worded opinion piece for The Indian Express on Thursday.

The event, Jashn-e-Urdu , organised by the university’s Urdu department, was scheduled for February 1. Shah said he had been looking forward to attending and interacting with students , but was informed late on the night of January 31 that he need not come . No explanation or apology was offered, prompting Shah to describe the move as “insulting.”

Shah alleged that the university later told the audience he had refused to attend , which he strongly denied. He suggested that senior university officials had implied he was being barred because of his critical remarks against the government . “If they believe I 'openly make statements against the country,' I challenge them to produce a single statement of mine in which I run down my country,” Shah wrote.

The actor clarified that while he has often been critical of government policies , his intention has been to address civic and social issues. He pointed to several concerns, including student activists being detained without trial, bail for convicted criminals, cow vigilante violence, textbook revisions, manipulation of science, and inflammatory statements by political leaders.

Shah compared the current situation in the country to George Orwell’s 1984 , warning that the rise of a “thought police” culture and continuous surveillance is eroding the democratic spirit. He asked, “Just how long can this hatred be sustained? This is not the country I grew up in and was taught to love.”

The incident has sparked a wider debate about freedom of expression and the role of educational institutions in facilitating dialogue, especially when it involves public figures known for social commentary .