Naseeruddin Shah Accuses Rajesh Khanna of Ushering in 'Mediocrity' to 1970s Bollywood

Naseeruddin Shah, the prolific actor who goes beyond the stereotypical confines, once condemned the late legendary actor Rajesh Khanna for introducing mediocrity in the Hindi film industry. Claiming that the ‘70s introduced a peripheral phase of ‘not needing a storyline,’ the 75-year-old actor called Khanna a poor and limited actor who dictated the quality of the films.In 2016, while speaking to Hindustan Times, Shah asserted that Bollywood has not changed since the ‘70s, noting that the subjects are still puerile “In fact, it was the 70’s when mediocrity came in Hindi films. That’s when the actor called Rajesh Khanna joined the industry. For all his success, I think Mr Khanna was a very limited actor. In fact, he was a poor actor,” the ‘Ijaazat’ star said, before adding, “Intellectually, he wasn’t the most alert person I have ever met. His taste ruled the industry.”Moreover, he pointed out that the industry became less content-driven in the ‘70s, citing that the quality of script, lyrics, acting, and music drastically deteriorated. As the colour cinema took over the entertainment business, he expressed that one could make an actress wear a purple saree, make the actor wear a red shirt, go to Kashmir, and shoot the film. “You didn’t need a story. This trend continued, and I certainly think Mr Khanna had something to do with it because he was God in those days,” Shah added.Twinkle Khanna, the actress and daughter of late Rajesh Khanna, clapped back at the comment on social media, citing on X, “Sir if u can’t respect the living, respect the dead-mediocrity is attacking a man who can’t respond @NaseerudinShah.”The upcoming generation of actors does not make an indelible impression on Naseeruddin Shah. Noting that the actors claim they love cinema, he opined that they do not dare to go out of the line because of blaring insecurity. “People who just snap their fingers and choose any project they want are insecure. The guys who are financially secure for the coming ten generations are mostly insecure, and they will not dare step out of line,” he quoted.