Pakistan: During an episode of the Talk Talk Show with host Hasan Choudary, Sheheryar Munawar Siddiqui addressed the viral video showing him touching the feet of Indian actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui at the Filmfare Awards in Dubai.
The host asked him about the gesture, especially considering the ongoing sociopolitical tension and backlash between the two countries. Choudary also drew a comparison to Fahad Mustafa’s similar act of touching Govinda’s feet at another event.
Sheheryar Munawar Siddiqui started by acknowledging the existence of the viral video with a chuckle and said, “What can I say – there’s a video, you must have seen it.” He further explained that the moment captured in the video was a personal one and not intended for the stage. According to him, he was not on duty or doing anything official.
Instead, it was a lighthearted moment among friends. Sheheryar clarified that Mahira Khan, who was also present, was teasing him to touch Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s feet, and he agreed to do it in a friendly jest. Unfortunately, a makeup artist captured that particular moment out of context and edited it to make it seem like something it was not. Sheheryar added that the video did not show the entirety of their conversation, including the fact that he expressed his admiration for Nawazuddin and his work.
Hasan commented that Sheheryar Munawar Siddiqui is a Sindhi like himself, and touching someone’s feet is a part of the Sindhi tradition. Sheheryar continued to explain that even if that were the case, he would not be ashamed of it because he believes in showing respect to those from whom he learns. He sees it as a cultural practice that has been around for thousands of years and nothing is wrong with it.
After that, the conversation shifted to a picture of Sheheryar with Deepika Padukone that was removed, and they joked about it. Sheheryar simply responded by saying that his angle in the photo was not right.
