All posts tagged: Nawazuddin Siddiqui interview

‘For 10 years I thought I was unlucky, cried on roads’: Nawazuddin Siddiqui recalls surviving on Parle-G | Bollywood News

‘For 10 years I thought I was unlucky, cried on roads’: Nawazuddin Siddiqui recalls surviving on Parle-G | Bollywood News

4 min readNew DelhiMay 2, 2026 05:33 PM IST For Nawazuddin Siddiqui, the journey to becoming one of India’s most celebrated performers was anything but easy. He came to Mumbai with just Rs 2,500 in his pocket, took up a job as a watchman to survive, and immersed himself in theatre to hone his craft. Years of rejection, odd jobs and relentless struggle followed before he finally found his footing. It was Gangs of Wasseypur that ultimately gave him the recognition and identity he had long been fighting for. ‘I thought I was unlucky’ Now, in a conversation with Radio Nasha, the actor has opened up about the emotional toll of those years. He said, “In the beginning, you have a lot of confidence and passion. But gradually, after facing repeated struggles, your confidence starts to fade. You begin to doubt yourself, whether what you learned was wrong, which is why you’re not getting work.” “I have seen that mental state where I started doubting myself, felt unfit. It feels like bad luck has struck …

Nawazuddin Siddiqui Rejects ‘Filling Irrfan Khan’s Vacuum’ Narrative: ‘I Didn’t Come To Fill Anyone’s…’ | Bollywood News

Nawazuddin Siddiqui Rejects ‘Filling Irrfan Khan’s Vacuum’ Narrative: ‘I Didn’t Come To Fill Anyone’s…’ | Bollywood News

Last Updated:March 16, 2026, 15:06 IST Nawazuddin Siddiqui reacts to being called Irrfan Khan’s successor and says he isn’t here to fill any actor’s vacuum, calling his journey in cinema personal. Nawazuddin Siddiqui addresses comparisons with late actor Irrfan Khan, saying his journey in cinema is personal and he is not here to fill anyone’s vacuum. Actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui has built a formidable reputation over the past decade as one of the most compelling performers in contemporary Indian cinema. Known for his nuanced performances across films and streaming platforms, he is often associated with the rise of Indian parallel and character-driven storytelling. Following the untimely demise of Irrfan Khan in 2020, many fans and critics have even described Nawazuddin as the actor who has stepped into the void left behind by the celebrated performer. However, Nawazuddin recently made it clear that he does not view his journey in that light. Nawazuddin Siddiqui on comparisons with Irrfan Khan During a conversation at the NDTV Creators’ Manch Season 2, Nawazuddin reflected on his career and addressed the …

Nawazuddin Siddiqui says father banned him from village for getting beaten up in films, was happy with Gangs of Wasseypur: ‘Ab theek kiya’ | Bollywood News

Nawazuddin Siddiqui says father banned him from village for getting beaten up in films, was happy with Gangs of Wasseypur: ‘Ab theek kiya’ | Bollywood News

Nawazuddin Siddiqui is today a name widely recognized across audiences. He is frequently mentioned among the greatest actors working in contemporary Bollywood. However, as has been often noted, his path to success was neither swift nor easy. It took him nearly two decades to establish himself in the industry. Like many outsiders, his journey began with small, inconspicuous roles in films. If one looks closely, one can spot him in movies such as Sarfarosh and Munna Bhai MBBS, often playing a goon brutally thrashed by other characters. In a recent conversation with YouTuber Raj Shamani, Nawazuddin revealed that his father was particularly uneasy seeing his beloved son repeatedly beaten up on screen. “In the beginning, I was getting roles where I was always getting beaten. In Sarfarosh, my first film, I was being beaten. Then in Munna Bhai MBBS, the same thing happened. Sometimes I played a thief, sometimes a pickpocket. And when people from my village watched these films, they would come from the cities and say to my father, ‘Your son is always …

Nawazuddin Siddiqui on inheriting insecurities and anger from father, says he never wanted to be like him: ‘He failed a lot in his life’ | Bollywood News

Nawazuddin Siddiqui on inheriting insecurities and anger from father, says he never wanted to be like him: ‘He failed a lot in his life’ | Bollywood News

Actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui has always been quite candid about his struggles while growing up, his NSD days and his relationship with his father. During a recent interview, Nawaz shared some more stories from his childhood and how his father’s certain habits and idiosyncracies shaped him as an individual. The actor made an appearance on Raj Shamani’s podcast to talk about his career and personal life. While talking about his school days, Nawaz segued into talking about his father and said that he never realised that there was something wrong in their relationship until he moved to the big cities. He said, “I realised after coming to the city that fathers can also love their children. Because where I came from, that is not the kind of relationship I had with my father. We used to talk a lot, but I think I took him for granted a lot of the time. This is something I realised much later in life after he passed away.” ALSO READ: Studio backing Gangs of Wasseypur wanted to replace Nawazuddin …

Nawazuddin Siddiqui: Unlike Bollywood, South film industry casts ‘actors’ in ₹200-crore movies

Nawazuddin Siddiqui: Unlike Bollywood, South film industry casts ‘actors’ in ₹200-crore movies

Actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui has blamed Bollywood’s star culture for audiences’ declining interest in watching films in theatres and contributing to the industry’s box office struggles. File photo of actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui “There are two kinds of actors – industry actors and public actors. Industry ke actor ko public itna nahi chahti hai uske bawajood bhi unki films aapke ghar ke darwaze mein lagi hoti hai. Aapko majboori mein dekhna padhta hai,” says Nawazuddin, whose film Costao, where he plays an upright customs officer, premiered on ZEE5 recently. He continues, “People want to see the public actors on screen but unfortunately their films don’t reach the masses. Chahe woh Om (Puri) sahaab ho, Irrfan bhai ho, Manoj Bajpayee ya Naseeruddin Shah ho, all the greatest actors of our country, inko duniya dekhna chahti hai par inki films itne bade scale mein release nahi hoti. Wohi sabse badi problem hai.” Nawazuddin has previously spoken about how no filmmaker ever considered making a ₹20–30 crore film with actors like the late Irrfan Khan, Manoj Bajpayee, Naseeruddin Shah, or …

Nawazuddin Siddiqui says actors who dance at weddings are ‘bhands’ by nature, confesses he’d dance too if he could | Bollywood News

Nawazuddin Siddiqui says actors who dance at weddings are ‘bhands’ by nature, confesses he’d dance too if he could | Bollywood News

Actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui said that he was quite surprised when the song “Emotional Atyachaar” became a rage following the release of Dev D, because he didn’t have the most pleasant experience shooting it on set. He admitted that he doesn’t have a problem with his fellow Bollywood actors dancing at private events for hefty sums of money, and that’d do the same thing if he could. Nawaz explained in a new interview that artists are essentially like ‘bhands (folk entertainers)’ who would be considered unfit for polite society in the past. Appearing on the All About Eve YouTube channel, Nawaz was asked if he’d dance at a wedding if we could, and he replied, “Yes, why not? What’s wrong with it? It’s a part of our profession; people complain that actors dance at weddings, but what’s the problem? At the end of the day, we are all ‘bhands’. Did you know that in the past, ‘bhands’ wouldn’t be allowed to mingle in polite society? They were seen as unfit; they were seen as people who …

Nawazuddin Siddiqui Slams Bollywood For Copying From South Films

Nawazuddin Siddiqui Slams Bollywood For Copying From South Films

Bollywood actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui has slammed the Hindi film industry for lacking original ideas and creativity and copying content from South films. He is one of the many artistes who have spoken about the declining state of Bollywood in recent times. During an interview, the Costao actor said that insecurity has also increased a lot. He stated, “Actually, insecurity has increased a lot. They feel that if a formula is working, they should keep milking it, overdo it. And what’s even more pathetic is that now there are 2, 3, 4 sequels being made. It’s creative bankruptcy, just like financial bankruptcy. There’s a lot of creative poverty.” He further criticised Bollywood for stealing ideas from South and remarked that thieves cannot be creative. “We’ve stolen from the South, sometimes from here, sometimes from there. Even some cult films that became hits have scenes that were copied. This has been so normalised that it’s like — so what if it’s stolen,” the actor continued. See Also: Exclusive: Anurag Kashyap’s Daughter Aaliyah To Marry in December He then …

‘I Find It Very Boring:’ Nawazuddin Siddiqui On ‘Typical’ Hindi Film Heroes

Nawazuddin Siddiqui was last seen in the film Adbhut. The actor questioned the appeal of stereotypical Indian heroes. Nawazuddin Siddiqui is regarded as one of the most prominent and skillful actors in Indian cinema, with a gem of a film catalogue. In a recent media interaction, the actor talked about his view on Hindi film heroes and how it is extremely “boring” for him to see a ‘hero’ who does nothing but beat others. As per reports, Nawazuddin Siddiqui gave an interview to a YouTube channel, addressing his disapproval of a stereotypical Indian hero. He was asked about what he thought of the “entry shot” in an action film, to which he replied, “To tell you the truth, I find it very boring.” Speaking further, Nawazuddin stated the hero will save everyone and the whole world; the female heroine falling in love with him despite him not having any other qualities. “A lot of times in these movies, we don’t know how he makes money, or what he does for a living,” he added. According …