.png)
1 hour ago
6
Naseruddin Shah at Jantar Mantar?
A video of veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah with his sons Imaad and Vivaan has been circulating widely on social media, with users claiming it shows the actor attending the Cockroach Janta Party's (CJP) 'Chalo Sansad' protest at Delhi's Jantar Mantar. The claim is false, the footage has no connection to the ongoing protest and was actually filmed in Mumbai.
What the Viral Claim Says:
The video shows Naseeruddin Shah alongside his son Vivaan Shah, and several posts falsely suggest that the actor, along with his sons, joined the student-led demonstration at Jantar Mantar in solidarity with protesters demanding action over the alleged NEET-UG paper leak. Some social media users went as far as claiming Shah was quietly standing among the crowd as a gesture of support. The claim gained traction partly because other public figures, including Shabana Azmi and Prakash Raj, have already voiced support for the protest, making the false claim about Shah seem plausible to many users.
A closer examination of the video's origin tells a different story. The clip was first posted on Instagram by user Rajesh Gaur on July 15 — days before the footage began circulating with claims linking it to the Delhi protest. The original, uncropped version clearly shows Naseeruddin Shah and Vivaan Shah standing outside Regal Cinema in Colaba, Mumbai, after attending a film screening. Visual details in the original clip, including hoardings for the films "Raja Shivaji" and "Pati Patni Aur Woh Do," confirm the Mumbai location beyond doubt.
The versions now going viral, however, have been cropped to remove the cinema backdrop, stripping away the visual cues that would otherwise make the actual location obvious. This edited framing created the misleading impression that Shah was standing at the Jantar Mantar protest site instead. The confusion deepened further after the video resurfaced online on July 20, right as the CJP-led protest was actively unfolding in Delhi, making the false pairing appear timely and believable.
Did Naseeruddin Shah made statement yet
While Shah was not present at the protest site, he did publicly express support for the cause. Along with actor Ratna Pathak Shah and other public figures, he was part of a joint appeal urging activist Sonam Wangchuk to end his prolonged hunger strike, citing concerns for his health. The appeal backed the students' demands over alleged NEET-UG irregularities and called for accountability from the Union Education Ministry, but stopped short of confirming any physical presence at the protest.
The claim that Naseeruddin Shah attended the CJP protest at Jantar Mantar is false. The viral video is unrelated footage from Mumbai, selectively edited to mislead viewers into believing the actor was present at the Delhi demonstration.
Prabhat Shukla
Senior Copy Editor
Prabhat Shukla is Senior Copy Editor at ET Now with over 2.5 years of experience in reporting and strategic storytelling. He is a graduate in Economics (Honours) from Lucknow University and holds a Post-Graduate Diploma in English Journalism from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC). He currently covers the technology and automobile beats, closely tracking developments across consumer tech, mobility, and innovation. Technology has been at the core of his reporting, with cybersecurity being a key area of interest. He has reported extensively on major technology launches, often breaking news and covering launches first, and major industry events like indian mobile congress 2024 & 2025 where major theme for the 2025 edition was cyber secure India. Also, he has broken several exclusive stories in the technology space. He has interviewed prominent technologists and industry leaders, bringing expert insights to a wider audience. His reporting focuses on accuracy, speed, and explaining complex technology trends in a simple and impactful manner. Also during International Solar Alliance’s annual meet in 2024 he got opportunity to interview President of ISA, Prahalad Joshi and other diplomats from member nation of ISA. He has bylines in prominent print and digital media platforms.
End of Article
English (US) ·