05 October,2026 06:53 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Piyush Mishra and Naseeruddin Shah. Pics via X
Piyush Mishra has publicly questioned veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah over his recent comments and public appearances, with the actor aiming at him in a video shared on social media. Mishra referred to Shah's meeting with Cockroach Janta Party founder Abhijeet Dipke before raising questions about why the veteran actor had not spoken about recent incidents involving flydubai pilot Smit Machchhar and students at Lovely Professional University (LPU).
In the video, Mishra first congratulated Shah for meeting Dipke before shifting his attention to the FlyDubai incident involving pilot Smit Machchhar. He referred to flight FZ1073, which was travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv, and praised the pilot for his actions during the emergency.
"Mr Smit Machchhar has done a great job in this, saving the lives of 180 people. Please comment on that too, give him a shout-out," Mishra said, adding that Machchhar was a "decent man" who would appreciate the recognition.
Mishra then questioned Shah over his alleged silence on the situation at Lovely Professional University. Referring to Shah's earlier remarks about student protesters and the education they had received, Mishra said he did not understand the comparison.
"You were saying that these children have taught as much as the Rashtriya Natya Vidyalaya and FTII have taught. I don't understand this statement," he said, before asking Shah to explain his position if the two actors met.
Mishra also revisited what he described as an earlier interaction with Shah during the Jharkhand floods. He claimed that he had asked the actor for assistance for people affected by the disaster, but received a poem from a Pakistani artist instead.
"They didn't need that poet's verses; They needed flour, lentils, and bread," Mishra said, stressing that people needed basic supplies rather than poetry. He added that those affected were not asking for "pizza and burger" either.
Mishra ended the video with a direct message to Shah, saying, "Now, whenever you make a statement, you will get a reply from Piyush Mishra."
As of now, Shah has not publicly responded to Mishra's remarks. It remains to be seen whether the veteran actor will address the comments or clarify his position on the issues raised in the video.
