Fact Check by Vishvas News: A viral post circulating online claiming that Bollywood actor Naseeruddin Shah criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi on social media. However, an investigation revealed that the viral post was made from a fake account impersonating Shah. The actor does not have an account on X, and the fake account does not follow the platform’s guidelines for parody or fan pages, as it lacks a clear disclaimer in the account name despite having one in the bio.
What is going viral?
X user Naseeruddin Shah posted a screenshot (archive link) criticising PM Modi on November 3, 2024.
Facebook user Rajanish Kant shared a screenshot (archive link) of X-user Naseeruddin Shah’s post.
Investigation
To verify the authenticity of the viral post, we examined the user account. The account bio indicates that it is not associated with Naseeruddin Shah.
During the investigation, a news article published on NDTV India’s website on February 8, 2021, quoting PTI, actress Ratna Pathak Shah, wife of Naseeruddin Shah, confirmed that he does not have a Twitter (now X) account. She made this statement after several posts about the farmers' movement were falsely attributed to an account impersonating the Bollywood actor.
As per X’s Help Center, accounts such as satire or parody may use another person’s identity but must clearly indicate that the account is not affiliated with that person. Parody, commentary, and fan accounts are required to distinguish themselves in both the account name and bio to avoid confusion. The account name and bio must explicitly clarify that the account is not related to the person in the profile picture. Note that the account name is different from the username (@handle).
The fact-checking team scanned the fake account created in the name of Naseeruddin Shah. This account, created in February 2024, is influenced by a particular ideology. This account is followed by 1524 users.
Conclusion
A post criticising PM Modi was shared from a fake account impersonating Bollywood actor Naseeruddin Shah. Although the account’s bio clarifies that it does not belong to Shah, some users are sharing screenshots of the post, mistakenly believing it to be authentic.
Claim Review: Post criticising PM Modi was shared from Naseeruddin Shah's account
Claimed By: Facebook user Rajanish Kant
Fact Check: False
(Disclaimer: This story was originally published by Vishvas News, and republished by India TV as part of the Shakti Collective.)
