Early life
Naseeruddin Shah was born in Barabanki, Uttar Pradesh, India. He is a descendant of the 19th-century Afghan warlord Jan Fishan Khan, and related to the writer Idries Shah. Naseeruddin Shah did his schooling at St. Anselm's Ajmer and St Joseph's College, Naini Tal. He graduated in arts from Aligarh Muslim University in 1971 and attended National School of Drama in Delhi.
He has seen success in both mainstream Bollywood cinema as well as in Parallel Cinema. He also appeared in many international films most notably playing Captain Nemo in the Hollywood comic book adaptation The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.
His elder brother Zahiruddin Shah retired from the Indian Army in early 2008 as Deputy Chief of Army Staff (Planning and Systems) and formerly commanded Dimapur based 3 Corps.
Personal life
He is married to Bollywood actress Ratna Pathak Shah. They have a daughter, Heeba, and two sons, Imaad and Vivaan.
