- Age
- 76 yrs
- Birthday in 259 days
- Works listed
- 6
- Film, TV series
- Honours
- 5
- Most recent 2003
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Naseeruddin Shah is a film and theatre actor regarded as one of India’s finest. A leading figure of parallel cinema in the 1970s and 1980s, he has won three National Film Awards, played Mirza Ghalib on television and co-founded the theatre group Motley.
Biography
Training
Naseeruddin Shah grew up in Uttar Pradesh and studied at Aligarh Muslim University before training at the National School of Drama in Delhi and the Film and Television Institute of India in Pune.
Parallel cinema
He made his debut in Shyam Benegal’s Nishant (1975) and became one of the defining actors of the parallel cinema movement, in films such as Manthan, Aakrosh, Sparsh (1980), which won him the National Film Award for Best Actor, Ardh Satya, Mirch Masala and Paar (1984), for which he won another National Award and the best actor prize at the Venice Film Festival.
Comedy, commercial films and television
He showed his comic gifts in the satire Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro (1983) and moved easily into commercial films such as Masoom, Sarfarosh and A Wednesday. On television he played the poet in Gulzar’s Mirza Ghalib (1988). He also appeared in international films, including Monsoon Wedding and The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.
Theatre and honours
In 1979 he co-founded the theatre company Motley with Tom Alter and Benjamin Gilani, which has staged plays for more than four decades. He received the Padma Shri in 1987 and the Padma Bhushan in 2003. He is married to actress Ratna Pathak Shah.
Timeline
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1950
Born in Barabanki, Uttar Pradesh
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1975
Debut in Nishant
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1979
Co-founds Motley
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1980
Sparsh
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1983
Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro and Masoom
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1984
Paar; best actor at Venice
-
1987
Padma Shri
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1988
Plays Mirza Ghalib on television
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2003
Padma Bhushan
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2008
A Wednesday
Notable works
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1980
Sparsh Film
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1983
Masoom Film
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1983
Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro Film
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1984
Paar Film
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1988
Mirza Ghalib TV series
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2008
A Wednesday Film
Awards and honours
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National Film Award for Best Actor
1980 · Sparsh.
-
Volpi Cup for Best Actor, Venice
1984 · Paar.
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National Film Award for Best Actor
1985 · Paar.
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Padma Shri
1987
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Padma Bhushan
2003
Did you know?
-
1
He played Captain Nemo in a Hollywood film.
-
2
His theatre group Motley has staged plays since 1979.
-
3
He played the poet Ghalib in a famous TV series.
Connections
Related people
-
Shabana Azmi
Film & TV · Actress of parallel and mainstream cinema, five-time National Film Award winner
Frequent co-star
-
Smita Patil
Film & TV · Actress of parallel cinema, two-time National Film Award winner
Frequent co-star
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Om Puri
Film & TV · Actor of Indian parallel cinema and international films
Contemporary and friend
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Gulzar
Film & TV · Poet, lyricist and film director
Directed him in Mirza Ghalib
-
Mirza Ghalib
Literature · Urdu and Persian poet of the late Mughal era
Portrayed him on television
Frequently asked
Who is Naseeruddin Shah?
Naseeruddin Shah is a film and theatre actor regarded as one of India’s finest. A leading figure of parallel cinema in the 1970s and 1980s, he has won three National Film Awards, played Mirza Ghalib on television and co-founded the theatre group Motley.
How old is Naseeruddin Shah?
Naseeruddin Shah is 76 years old, born on 20 July 1950 in Barabanki, Uttar Pradesh.
Where is Naseeruddin Shah from?
Naseeruddin Shah was born in Barabanki, Uttar Pradesh.
What is Naseeruddin Shah known for?
Naseeruddin Shah is best known for Sparsh, Paar, Masoom, Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro, Mirza Ghalib, A Wednesday.
What awards has Naseeruddin Shah received?
Notable honours include National Film Award for Best Actor (1980), Volpi Cup for Best Actor, Venice (1984), National Film Award for Best Actor (1985), Padma Shri (1987).
Who is Naseeruddin Shah married to?
Spouse: Ratna Pathak Shah.
References
- Naseeruddin Shah — Wikipedia. Wikipedia. Retrieved 2 November 2026.
- Naseeruddin Shah — Britannica. Encyclopaedia Britannica. Retrieved 2 November 2026.
- Naseeruddin Shah — IMDb. IMDb. Retrieved 2 November 2026.
- Naseeruddin Shah — Hindi Wikipedia. Wikipedia (Hindi). Retrieved 2 November 2026.
- Naseeruddin Shah (Q469945) — structured data. Wikidata. Retrieved 2 November 2026.
Includes material from the Wikipedia article “Naseeruddin Shah”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. That text is available under the same licence. Learn more
External links
About this profile
- Researched by the TrackFame editorial team; reviewed by Sanjay Sokal under our editorial policy
- First published 2 November 2026
- Last updated
Cite this page
“Naseeruddin Shah.” TrackFame, last updated 3 November 2026. https://trackfame.com/person/naseeruddin-shah
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