Veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah seems as much as thespian Dilip Kumar as a lot as every other cinephile. But, whereas acknowledging Dilip Kumar’s irreplaceable contributions to Indian cinema, Shah has raised a query “on whether his (Kumar) example as a star was worthy of emulation and whether he helped push the envelope toward progress or whether he facilitated the downward spiral of popular Hindi cinema into the total star-centricity in which it wallows today.”
In an opinion piece Naseeruddin Shah wrote for Indian Express, he burdened on how Kumar’s mode of expression didn’t comply with the norms of “fake theatricality, arch voice-intonations, and constantly wagging hands.”
“His mesmeric stillness and impeccable poise established a paradigm for good acting in Indian films. His economy of movement and gesture seemed to be little understood by his peers and even by those who came after, though many superficially mimicked his style,” Shah stated.
However, he added that regardless of Dilip Kumar‘s greatness, he did little to uplift his kind of cinema. Naseeruddin Shah added in his piece, “Given the position he was in, it is more than evident he didn’t do sufficient aside from performing and being concerned in social causes near his coronary heart.”
Dilip Kumar and Madhubala in a nonetheless from Mughal-E-Azam.
The actor, who lately acquired admitted to Mumbai’s Hinduja hospital for pneumonia, asserted that Kumar, in his performing profession, produced just one movie and didn’t direct any formally. “He never passed on the benefit of his experience, didn’t bother to groom anyone, and apart from his pre-1970s performances, left behind no significant lessons for future actors.”
Infact, Shah opined that Kumar’s autobiography was “a rehash of old interviews.” He wrote, “It’s baffling why a man as conscious of his place in history as he was should be reluctant to record his interaction with some of the admittedly great filmmakers of his time or say anything really informative about the nature of his work and technique. I wish, at some point, he had at least been forthright about the travails involved in retaining legions of devoted fans.”
In the article, Naseeruddin Shah wrote that Dilip Kumar is among the many most interesting within the nation, whose sheer presence might elevate a movie. But, regardless of all of the stardom, the legend “chose to play safe.”
