Naseeruddin Shah

He worked in a Bollywood adaption of Shakespeare's Macbeth, titled Maqbool. It is believed that he was shortly due to have received a knighthood when he died from esophageal cancer at the age of 60 in 2002. He also played Captain Nemo in the 2003 film The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. Thaw was awarded the CBE in 1994. Shah was recently seen in Teen Diwarein and Mira Nair's Monsoon Wedding. Thaw was eventually cured a year before his death. He was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 2003. In her 2004 autobiography Sheila Hancock revealed the extent of Thaw's alcoholism that had started in the late 1970s and caused problems in their marraige and the gaps in Thaw's career in the early 1980s and later 1990s .

With his wife Ratna Pathak, Naseeruddin Shah continues to act regularly in plays, often at Shashi Kapoor's Prithvi Theatre. Thaw has two daughters, Abigail Thaw from his first marriage, and Joanna Thaw from his second. Naseeruddin Shah has also played and directed English and Hindi plays. He married actress Sheila Hancock in 1973 whom he remained with until his death in 2002. However, directors also utilize his great acting talent when a character role has to be played. In 1964 Thaw married Sally Alexander, but they divorced four years later. He has also not shied away from accepting roles in mainstream Hindi movies where he has played a variety of characters, though his slight frame has ensured that he is most often cast in a comic role. Thaw has appeared in a number of films, including Cry Freedom, which received a BAFTA nomination for Best Supporting Actor, and Chaplin for director Richard Attenborough.

His roles in Ketan Mehta's films and also in films like Mandi, Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron, and Mohan Joshi Hazir Ho! (1983), have endeared him to the Indian public. His only screen project not considered a popular success was the BBC series 'A Year in Provence'. Besides these serious roles, he has a penchant for comedy. Thaw also tried his hand at comedy with his own sitcom called Home to Roost (1985 - 1988). Naseeruddin Shah has also acted for other New Indian Cinema directors including Mrinal Sen (Khandan, 1983) and Sai Paranjpye (Sparsh, 1979). He subsequently played liberal barrister James Kavanagh in Kavanagh QC (1995 - 1999, with a special in 2001). The film is set in a Catholic setting, primarily because Mirza did not have the courage to tackle Muslim issues. He won two BAFTA awards for Inspector Morse.

In the movie, he plays a garage mechanic from Goa who dreams of the expensive cars that he repairs but that are far beyond his reach. Thaw will perhaps be best remembered for two roles: the hard-bitten Flying Squad detective Jack Regan in the television series (and two films) The Sweeney (1975 - 1978), which established him as a major star in the United Kingdom, and as the quietly-spoken, introspective and bitter detective Inspector Morse (1987 - 2001), with specials in 1995 - 1998 and 2000. One of his most intense performances was given in Saeed Mirza's Albert Pinto Ko Gussa Kyon Aata Hai (What makes Albert Pinto angry?, 1980). His first film role was a bit part in the 1962 adaptation of The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner starring Tom Courtney. He acted in Benegal's Nishant (1975), Manthan and Bhumika (1976). On leaving RADA Thaw was awarded a contract with the Liverpool Playhouse. Like many of the other actors of his genre, Naseeruddin Shah was first noticed by Shyam Benegal. He studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art where he was a contemporary of Tom Courtney.

Shah was born in Delhi and educated at the National School of Drama in Delhi. Thaw came from a working class background, having been born in West Gorton, Manchester. Naseeruddin Shah (born July 20, 1950) is one of the icons of New Indian Cinema along with Smita Patil, Shabana Azmi and Om Puri. John Thaw (January 3, 1942 - February 21, 2002) CBE, was a British actor who achieved his first starring role in the military police television drama Redcap (1964 - 1966), and subsequently appeared in a range of television, stage and cinema roles. Hyderabad: Orient Longman, 1988. The Moving Image.

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The Great New Wonderful. Maqbool. Gaja Gamini. Yeh woh manzil to nahin.

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