Naseeruddin Shah (sometimes spelled Nasiruddin) was born in India in 1950 and is widely recognized as India's and one of the world's finest actors today. He began his career in parallel cinema, India's New Wave cinema movement, and is now one of that movement's icons.

Shah is one of the stars of Dastangoi: The Adventures of Amir Hamza. In this special interview footage, Shah explains the significance of this festival and his personal motivations for participating.

Shah is highly acclaimed for his Bollywood film and theater performances. His many awards include the Best Actor Award at the Venice Film Festival for his role in Paar, two wins at the National Film Awards for Best Actor, India's equivalent of the Academy Awards, three Filmfare Best Actor Awards and the Padma Bhushan, India's third highest civilian award as well as the Padma Shri, the country's fourth highest civilian award.

A graduate of New Delhi’s National School of Drama, Shah has appeared in many international films, most notably playing Captain Nemo in the Hollywood comic-book adaptation of The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen with Sean Connery and in the pivotal role for the 2001 hit Monsoon Wedding. Shah is also an accomplished director, performing alongside his wife, actress Ratna Pathak Shah, with his theater ensemble throughout South Asia, the Gulf States, England and North America. He has directed plays written by Ismat Chughtai and Saadat Hasan Manto.

Shah's directorial film debut, Yun Hota To Kya Hota, was released in 2006 to critical acclaim. The movie stars several established actors, including Konkana Sen Sharma, Paresh Rawal and Irrfan Khan as well as Shah’s own son Imaad.