Naseeruddin Shah, who recently played the role of ‘Keenu’ in the film Mai Vaapas Aaunga, turns 76 years old today. He was born on July 20, 1950, in Barabanki, Uttar Pradesh. Since childhood, he dreamed of becoming an actor. He used to practice acting in front of the mirror.

He had no interest in school textbooks. His only dream was to get a chance to act somehow. His father wanted him to concentrate on his studies, but his inclination was always towards cinema and theatre.

And Then One Day: A Memoir

Eventually, what started as a teenage dream became a reality. After working in over 100 films and earning a reputation as one of India's most celebrated actors, Naseeruddin Shah documented his journey, struggles, and life experiences in his autobiography, “And Then One Day: A Memoir.”

The book was published in 2014. In his autobiography, he has shared his journey from childhood to becoming an actor, his days at the National School of Drama (NSD), and the major moments of his life until the age of 32. From his relationship with his family to his personal struggles, the book reveals many untold chapters of Shah's life.

Beyond Fame And Success

He didn't hide his flaws, mistakes, and failures. He openly wrote about how he was a difficult son, an angry friend, and a failed lover. The autobiography is considered one of the most honest autobiographies because these are the things that most celebrities hide in order to maintain a perfect image.

He wrote down his thoughts over the years and eventually completed around 100 pages. Surprisingly, what started as a fun hobby slowly became something more meaningful. Later, he showed these pages to his friend and historian Ramachandra Guha, who encouraged him to complete it and get it published.

Strained Relationship with His Father

Shah highlighted his relationship with his father in this book. He claimed that they had a tense relationship. His father found it difficult to comprehend his son's poor academic performance. His father wanted him to "become" someone and "do" something meaningful with his life. Although Shah's father never physically punished him, he often expressed his harsh disapproval, which further complicated their relationship.

When 19-year-old Shah chose to focus on theatre at Aligarh Muslim University rather than academics, his relationship with his father deteriorated.

In love with a Pakistani student

Shah fell in love with Purveen Murad, a 34-year-old Pakistani MBBS student, when he was just 19 years old. Shah attributes his success in "determining my direction and finding my spot" to Purveen's encouragement and support for his acting aspirations.

After Shah was admitted to the National School of Drama in Delhi and left Aligarh, the marriage gradually fell apart. Heeba, the couple's first child, was born 10 months after Shah and Purveen got married.

The actor describes himself as "ill-adjusted" and "insecure" at the time, and he speculates that this may have contributed to the failure of the relationship.

"Unsparingly Honest" and “Candid”

He did not have a relationship with his daughter during the first twelve years of her life. Although critics have described Shah's autobiography as "unsparingly honest" and "candid," the true impact of those descriptions becomes clear when he writes about his relationship with his daughter, Heeba.

The Twelve-Year Separation

Shah talks about how he was too preoccupied with his glamorous new life at NSD to appreciate the baby's arrival. He quickly stopped messaging, calling, and meeting Purveen because he started to see marriage and fatherhood as responsibilities. Shah did not see his daughter for the next twelve years after Purveen eventually left for London with the baby.

One True Love Of My Life

He refers to Ratna Pathak Shah as the "one true love of his life." Shah was instantly enamoured with Ratna Pathak, who later became his wife. When he first saw Ratna Pathak, he was discussing a play at a roadside sugarcane juice stand with renowned theatre director Satyadev Dubey. 

He discovered that the young woman was also a part of Dubey's production and found it difficult to look away from her. Shah was getting over a difficult breakup at the time, and he fell in love with Pathak right away.

Regular Use of Marijuana

Shah openly admits to being a regular user of marijuana during his younger years. He writes about navigating his tough early years, gruelling acting schedules, and personal struggles in a literal “haze of marijuana”. Despite his honesty, he explicitly clarifies to his readers that he is not recommending drugs to the youth and does not want anyone to emulate his past habits.

However, the autobiography ends his life at just 32 or 33 years old. It doesn't even mention the making of his most iconic film, Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro (1983), which disappointed many of his fans. 

His willingness to paint himself as an imperfect, substance-dependent, struggling artist rather than a perfect role model is precisely which is why readers and critics regard it as one of the most candid memoirs by a Bollywood actor.

These are just a few highlights from the 328-page memoir. If you want to know the man behind the legendary actor, the book has much more to offer.

"Naseeruddin Shah, who recently played the role of ‘Keenu’ in the film Mai Vaapas Aaunga, turns 76 years old today. He was born on July 20, 1…"