Salim Khan slams Naseeruddin Shah for calling Rajesh Khanna a 'poor actor'

Mumbai: Scriptwriter Salim Khan has criticised Naseeruddin Shah for his comments that superstar Rajesh Khanna was responsible for bringing “mediocrity” in Bollywood in the ’70s.

Recently, in an interview, Shah said that ’70s was the time when mediocrity came in Hindi films and also when Khanna joined the industry, who according to him was a “poor actor”.

Calling Khanna the first and the last superstar of his times, Salim said an actor has to be extraordinary to rule the industry and people’s hearts for long.

“An actor passed my house and saw a big crowd waiting for Salman. He called me up to say he has not seen anything like this before. I told him I have seen bigger crowds many times outside Rajesh Khanna’s house,” Salim wrote on Twitter.

“He was the first and the last superstar of the millennium. Anyone calling him a mediocre actor should know that no one can reach these heights unless he has something extraordinary to offer,” he continued.

In an apparent reference to Shah, the “Sholay” writer said, “Frustration and bitterness are difficult to cure but carrying the same for such a long time is unheard of.”

Salim, 80, is the latest celebrity to slam Shah for his remarks after stars like Khanna’s daughter Twinkle and filmmaker Karan Johar criticised actor.

After Twinkle Khanna and Karan Johar blasted Naseeruddin Shah for calling the late actor Rajesh Khanna — Twinkle’s father — a “limited, poor actor,” Shah had apologised. India Today tweeted that the actor said, “I apologise to those who were personally offended, my intention was not to attack him (Rajesh Khanna)”.”

Twinkle, however, was having none of it. The apology, it seems, was too late and too little for her. She tweeted, “All due regard toMrShah’s reality,mine=a man who loved cinema& did films likeAnand,AmarPrem,KatiPatang thank u folks for all the love.”