Anurag Kashyap took Nawazuddin Siddiqui aside, asked ‘Tu pagal hai kya, why are you overacting?’; actor recalls day one of Gangs of Wasseypur

Nawazuddin Siddiqui recalled the mortifying first day of the Gangs of Wasseypur shoot, after which Anurag Kashyap made it clear that he wasn't impressed by his performance.

By: Entertainment Desk

New Delhi | June 26, 2024 11:46 AM IST

2 min read

Nawazuddin Siddiqui- Anurag Kashyap- Haddi

Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Anurag Kashyap in a still from Haddi (2023).

Actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui said that filmmaker Anurag Kashyap is a maverick who can accomplish what most others cant, as he looked back on working with him on their crime epic Gangs of Wasseypur. In an interview, Nawaz recalled the dressing down that he privately got from the director on the first day of filming, during which he admitted to have delivered a vastly misjudged performance as the meek yet vengeful Faisal Khan.

Appearing on Shubhankar Mishra’s podcast, Nawaz said that he was sure he wanted to do the film after reading only a brief plot description. “I wanted to give it my all. Slowly, I started behaving like Al Pacino. The first day of shoot, I was full of Al Pacino. Full on. That’s how I was behaving.” That evening, in the small Varanasi hotel where they were staying together, Anurag took Nawaz aside for a private conversation.

Also read – Nawazuddin Siddiqui says he and Anurag Kashyap are ‘not friends’: ‘We can travel for 5-6 hours without speaking to each other’

Nawaz continued, “He said, ‘Yeh kya kar raha hai tu? Tu pagal hai kya? Kis tarah se kar raha hai tu? Overacting kyu kar raha hai? (What in the world are you doing? How are you playing it? Have you lost your mind, why are you overacting?'” Nawaz said that he was mortified. “Maine sar pakad liya,” he said, and revealed that the entire day had to be reshot. “I did away with the power that I was showing completely,” he said.

The two-part Gangs of Wasseypur launched not only Nawaz’s career as a leading man, but also spotlighted actors who went on to make waves in the film industry. In a recent interview, Anurag praised Nawaz’s talent, and said that the industry still puts him in a box because of his physical appearance. He also said that Nawaz routinely checked up on him when he was struggling with his mental health in recent years. In an interview with the Indian Express, Nawaz said that while they aren’t close friends, he has a special place in his heart for Anurag.

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