Veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah recently said in an interview that since Prime Minister Narendra Modi “seems to be fond of headgear”, he wants to see him “wear a skullcap someday.”

In an interview with Karan Thapar for The Wire, Shah also spoke about no Muslim representation in Modi 3.0 cabinet, which is a first in Indian history.

“It is depressing, but not surprising. The hatred for Muslims seems to be visceral… Hamid Ansari (Former President) said there is an element of apprehension among the Muslims in the country. It is something we just have to get to, it is not something the Hindus alone or the Muslims alone can do. It is something we have to do together,” he said.

When asked what would Modi wearing a skullcap mean for him personally, Shah answered, “Just wearing a skullcap would be a gesture. After his refusal to wear a skullcap at a function (in 2011), where the maulvis presented him with one, it is difficult to erase that memory. But if he does, it would be a gesture that ‘I am not separate from you. You and I are citizens of the same country. I have no aversion to you'. If he were to convince the Muslims of this country of that I think that would be a great help.”

On the film front, Shah was last seen in the Dinsey+ Hotstar series Showtime.