Neeraj Pandey Responds to Naseeruddin Shah’s Remarks on ‘A Wednesday’

New Delhi Chronicle Entertainment Desk

Mumbai:Filmmaker Neeraj Pandey has addressed recent resurfaced comments by veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah regarding the portrayal of Muslim characters in the 2008 thriller A Wednesday.

The film, featuring Shah alongside Anupam Kher, told the story of a tense day in Mumbai involving a mysterious caller and the city’s police force. In past interviews, Shah had expressed discomfort that all the terrorists in the movie had Muslim names, suggesting it conveyed a subtle message.

Speaking to Screen, Pandey said he was surprised by Shah’s claim, noting that the actor had never raised any such concerns during production. “He liked the script so much he told me not to change a word,” Pandey recalled, adding that the statement seemed at odds with his recollection. The director also speculated that Shah might have been promoting another project when he made the remark.

Pandey pointed out that their professional relationship continued even after A Wednesday, describing their shared memories as “priceless” and affirming that he would gladly work with Shah again. “Why wouldn’t we?” he said.

In a prior conversation with Indian Express, Shah had explained that he had questioned Pandey about the choice to depict all four terrorists as Muslims, suggesting the inclusion of characters from other backgrounds. According to Shah, Pandey had replied that there was no political intent behind the decision.