Naseeruddin Shah reveals he rejected several lifetime achievement awards recently: 'A way of saying your work is done'

Naseeruddin Shah has been in the middle of another golden run in his illustrious career that has spanned five decades.

At 76, Naseeruddin Shah is having one of the golden phases of his career. The veteran actor is garnering praise for his performance in Imtiaz Ali’s Main Vaapas Aaunga, a film that has won both critical acclaim and commercial success. He also won praise for his starring role in Made in India, the Amazon MX Player show in which he played JRD Tata. And amid this golden run, the actor has made it clear that he has no plans to hang up his boots just yet.

Actor Naseeruddin Shah addressed not accepting lifetime achievement awards recently. (PTI Photo) (PTI)

Naseeruddin Shah addresses awards

On Friday, the team of Main Vaapas Aaunga hosted a success party for the film in Mumbai to mark its completion of 50 days in theatres, a rarity in today’s market. The romantic saga, which also stars Diljit Dosanjh, Sharvari, and Vedang Raina, is Imtiaz’s first box-office success in years. At the success party, Naseeruddin Shah addressed the film’s success and his career trajectory. Speaking to the gathering, which included mediapersons, he said, “I have been offered several lifetime achievement awards recently, and I said no. Lifetime achievement awards are a way of saying your work is done. I have no intention of ye lekar jaana (taking this and leaving), and that is why I don’t accept these awards. I don’t think my job is done.”

The multiple National Award winner then thanked the audience for their love for Main Vaapas Aaunga. “I feel very fortunate to have been a part of this film, and I’m extremely proud of it. Thank you all for the support you have lent,” he added.

Naseeruddin Shah began his acting career in the mid-1970s in parallel cinema, before moving to mainstream Bollywood with Hum Paanch. He attained box-office success with films like Karma, Jalwa, and Malaamal in the 80s. He won the Best Actor National Award for Sparsh in 1979 and Paar in 1984, and the Best Supporting Actor for Iqbal in 2005.

Main Vaapas Aaunga's stellar run at the box office

Directed by Imtiaz Ali, Main Vaapas Aaunga is produced by Birla Studios and Applause Entertainment, along with Mohit Choudhary and Shibasish Sarkar of Window Seat Films. Set against the backdrop of personal history and Partition-era memories, the period drama follows 95-year-old Ishar Singh Grewal, played by Naseeruddin Shah, who suffers a stroke while attempting to travel to Sargodha in present-day Pakistan. As memories from his pre-Partition life resurface, his grandson Nirvair, portrayed by Diljit Dosanjh, returns from England to uncover long-buried family secrets. The mystery surrounding Ishar's emotional journey forms the core of the narrative.

The film opened to positive reviews and, despite a slow start, gained momentum after its first weekend via good word of mouth. It is likely to end its journey with a worldwide collection of ₹100 crore.