Naseeruddin Shah never shies away from speaking his mind on social issues. The actor frequently expresses strong opinions on freedom of speech and the political influence on cinema. In a recent interview at the Cannes Film Festival in France, he expressed his interest in working on a “courageous” film about religion. He was accompanied by his wife Ratna Pathak Shah, at the screening of his film Manthan (1976), directed by Shyam Benegal.

When asked which contemporary social issue he’d choose for a film, and Naseeruddin told Brut India, “Religion. I think courageous films should be made about this factor that seems to be on all our minds. This, to my mind, is one of the most harmful things that have happened to humanity, and that is why I consider a film that I did in Pakistan many years ago called Khuda Kay Liye (2007) an important film.”

He further said, “Some people are attempting to do that and gradually their numbers may multiply, but it’s still not easy to make a direct statement.”