Naseeruddin Shah in Shyam Benegal’s Mandi (1983).

Naseeruddin Shah is an acting canon unto himself. What hasn’t he portrayed? And portrayed with truth and intelligence. Vishwam, his first lead role, in Shyam Benegal’s Nishant (1975), Tungrus in Shyam Benegal’s Mandi (1983), Mike Lobo in Govind Nihalani’s Ardh Satya (1983), Albert in Saeed Mirza’s Albert Pinto Ko Gussa Kyoon Aata Hai (1980), and Anirudh Parmar in Sai Paranjpye’s Sparsh (1980), as the only convincing blind man in Hindi cinema.