In an exclusive chat with us, actor Naseeruddin Shah has reacted to Farhan Akhtar calling his past comments “distasteful”, saying that his remarks about Farhan’s performance in Bhaag Milkha Bhaag were exaggerated by the media.

“He is right but I think my statement has been exaggerated a bit,” he tells us. When we ask which bits were exaggerated, the 75-year-old adds, “I don’t think you need to be a genius to figure that out! Read both statements.”

In 2013, Naseer had stirred controversy with his blunt take on Farhan’s performance in Bhaag Milkha Bhaag: “I don’t care about Farhan Akhtar and I don’t watch his films. I liked his first film Dil Chahta Hai (2001)... I’m not a great fan of his acting or his films. But I admire him.”

In another interview, he said, “Building up muscles and growing your hair is not working hard on your acting. At least he should have tried to look like Milkha.”

Farhan (51) had recently told India TV, “I’ve known him for so many years. We worked together in Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (2011)... If you want me to improve in my work, there is a way of communicating... To go in the press and say this, I found that distasteful.”