'Have done almost everything that I decided to do'

Veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah said he has ticked the mark on almost all the roles he wanted to play in his acting career that spans over 45 years.

Regarded as a stalwart in Hindi cinema, Shah has delivered many critically acclaimed performances in movies such as 'Nishant', 'Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro', 'Mandi', 'Sparsh', 'Woh Saat Din', 'Sarfarosh', 'A Wednesday', 'Maqbool', 'Ishqiya' and many others.

"I have done almost everything that I decided to do as an actor. I do not really have any such desires left," the 71-year-old actor said.

He also worked on the small screen through 'DD' programmes 'Bharat: Ek Khoj' with frequent collaborator Shyam Benegal and 'Mirza Ghalib' in the late 1980s. In 2006, Shah made his feature directorial debut with 'Yun Hota Toh Kya Hota'.

"I want to be part of projects which will be fun and I feel have a chance of being remembered, which says something more than just a simple

story. I have had plenty of opportunities in my career for which I am extremely grateful," he added.

An acclaimed theatre artist, he has directed plays written by Lavender Kumar, Ismat Chughtai and Saadat Hasan Manto. He also runs the theatre group, 'Motley Productions', which is co-founded with Tom Alter and Benjamin Gilani in 1977.

Keeping up with the times, Shah made his debut in the digital space with the 2020 'Amazon' series 'Bandish Bandits'.

Now, he is gearing up for the premiere of 'Kaun Banegi Shikharwati', another web series.

The multiple award-winning actor was speaking at the virtual trailer launch of 'Kaun Banegi Shikharwati', billed as a 'unique take on a dysfunctional royal family'.

The dramedy features Shah in the role of a king, while actors Lara Dutta Bhupathi, Soha Ali Khan, Kritika Kamra and Anya Singh play his daughters.

The veteran, who graduated from the 'Film and

Television Institute of India' (FTII) in the late 1970s, revealed that the brightest acting student in his batch was Shakti Kapoor.