When Naseeruddin Shah revealed he uses his awards as bathroom handles, said, "Whoever goes to the bathroom will get two awards"

When Naseeruddin Shah revealed he uses awards as bathroom handles, said, "Whoever goes to the bathroom will get two awards"

Veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah is known for his candid opinions and unfiltered commentary on the film industry, and his recent statements are no exception. Speaking in an interview with Lallantop, Shah addressed the futility of competitive awards in the acting world and made a rather startling revelation — he uses some of his Filmfare Awards as door handles in the bathroom of his farmhouse.

The acclaimed actor, who has appeared in countless iconic films and was last seen in Taj: Reign of Revenge, said he finds little value in the glitter of awards. “Any actor who has put their life and effort into portraying a role is a good actor. If you just pick one person from the lot and say that ‘this is the best actor of the year’, how’s it fair?” he said. He went on to explain that he stopped attending award ceremonies and didn’t even collect his last two Filmfare Awards.

Shah added with a touch of dark humor, “I am not proud of those awards. So, when I built a farmhouse, I decided to put these awards there. Whoever goes to the washroom will get two awards each as the handles are made of the Filmfare awards.”

Further elaborating on his disillusionment, he said, “I don’t find any value in these trophies. I was happy when I received the initial ones. But then, trophies started piling up around me. Sooner or later, I understood that these awards are a result of lobbying. One is receiving these awards not necessarily because of their merit. So I started leaving them behind.”

However, Shah made a distinction when speaking of civilian honors like the Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan. Reflecting on those, he said, “When I received Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan, it reminded me of my deceased father who used to always be worried about my job and said things like ‘if you do this useless work, you will become a fool’. So, when I went to Rashtrapati Bhavan to collect the awards, I looked up and asked my dad if he was seeing all this... He was... and I am sure he was happy.”

This isn't the first time Shah has made headlines with his bold opinions. Recently, in an interview with IndiaToday.in, he criticized the popularity of The Kerala Story, calling it “a dangerous trend.” Drawing parallels with Nazi Germany, he warned of filmmakers being used for political messaging and urged vigilance, stating, “Either stay on the right side, be neutral or pro-establishment.”

With these remarks, Shah continues to assert his voice not just as an actor, but as a critical observer of the evolving sociopolitical landscape in India.