Veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah is facing heat from netizens after he deleted a Facebook post in which he had defended Diljit Dosanjh amid the ongoing controversy surrounding the film Sardaar Ji 3.

Shah's deleted post, in which he criticized the backlash against Dosanjh for co-starring with Pakistani actress Hania Aamir, sparked a wave of online trolling. Soon after he took it down, users on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) began mocking the actor for what they called a "U-turn."

One user shared a screenshot of the deleted post, saying, “So, Naseeruddin Shah has deleted his post. But only from social media, not from his mind. He never supported Bharat and never will.” Another sarcastically wrote, “Maybe he remembered where the money comes from.” Others chimed in with comments like, “He got scared,” and “They only speak when they think they have public backing!”

Also Read: Naseeruddin Shah 'stands with' Diljit Dosanjh amid 'Sardaar Ji 3' backlash

The hashtag #NaseeruddinShah quickly began trending, with many taking jabs at the Sarfarosh star.

On Monday, the veteran Bollywood actor came out strongly in support of Diljit Dosanjh, who is facing mounting criticism from extremist elements in India over his latest film, Sardaar Ji 3, which features Pakistani actress Hania Aamir.

Taking to social media, Shah addressed the growing backlash and stood by Diljit, saying: “I STAND FIRMLY WITH DILJIT. The dirty tricks deptt of Jumla Party has been awaiting a chance to attack him. They think they’ve got it at last. He was not responsible for the casting of the film, the director was.”

Shah pointed out that Diljit’s decision to work on the film stemmed from his open-mindedness and refusal to fall into the trap of hate politics.

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He continued, “…Diljit is known the world over, and he agreed to the cast because his mind is not poisoned. What these goons want is to put an end to personal interaction between the people of India and Pakistan. I have close relatives and some dear friends there and no one can stop me from meeting them or sending them love whenever I feel like it.”

Although Shah has now removed the post, screenshots continue to circulate widely. After deleting the post, Shah posted a quote from scientist and philosopher, Georg Christoph Lichtenberg, "It is almost impossible to carry the torch of truth through a crowd without singeing somebody's beard."

Earlier, Imtiaz Ali, director of Amar Singh Chamkila, had also come to Diljit’s defense, praising his honesty and calling him someone who doesn’t fake his beliefs. However, not all reactions have been supportive — television actress Rupali Ganguly publicly criticized Dosanjh over the controversy.

The Sardaar Ji 3 issue continues to stir debate, with opinions divided across the entertainment industry and social media.