What TV doesn't, print can't; we deliver.
What TV doesn't, print can't; we deliver.
Gangs of Wasseypur fame Nawazuddin Siddiqui, who is known for his versatile acting, on Tuesday, shared his learning experience of 23 years in the film industry.
Speaking at a session at the 53rd International Film Festival of India in Goa, Siddiqui recalled his struggles and challenges in the early days of his career. He said that he was offered small roles which he had to accept to survive.
“It is the difficult time that makes you strong,” he told the gathering at the ‘Journey as an Actor’ session in Goa.
Siddiqui is known for his acting in Bollywood films like Black Friday, New York, Peepli Live, Kahani, and Gangs of Wasseypur.
Sharing his mantra of learning, he said: “If you have to begin from zero, you have to first unlearn what you have learned.”
The actor recalled that after graduating from a local college, he worked as a chemist in a petrochemical company for a short while. However, to fulfil the dream of becoming an actor, he got associated with theatre. Eventually, he got admitted to the National School of Drama (NSD), Delhi.
Amongst his best-known films, Gangs of Wasseypur (2012) was a turning point in his acting career. He said that the movie made him believe in himself. “I was confident that my struggles will get over after this and people will appreciate this movie”, he said.
Talking about the wide range of roles he played in Bollywood movies from Haraamkhor to Manto and Thackeray, he said: “Acting is everything for me, it’s my life. Even one life is not enough to satiate my thirst for acting.”
He further said that he was wary of working on web series on Netflix and other OTT platforms as he had no idea about them. However, “director friend” Anurag Kashyap convinced him to work on this platform.
Siddiqui did Sacred Games (2018) web series which turned out to be a big hit on Netflix.
The actor is playing the role of a transgender in his upcoming movie Haddi.
