Naseeruddin Shah was born on July 20, 1950, in Barabanki, Uttar Pradesh, India. He comes from a distinguished Nawab family, with notable lineage tracing back to Afghan warlord Jan-Fishan Khan. Shah received his education at St. Anselm's Ajmer and St. Joseph's College in Nainital, later graduating in Arts from Aligarh Muslim University and attending the National School of Drama in Delhi. He began his acting career in theater at the age of 14 and made his film debut in 1975 with "Nishant," which won a National Award. Over the years, he has become a prominent figure in Indian parallel cinema and mainstream Bollywood, earning multiple accolades including the Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan for his contributions to the arts. Shah has been married twice; his first wife was Parveen Murad, and he later married actress Ratna Pathak in 1982. They have two sons together, Imaad and Vivaan Shah, both of whom are actors.