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Nawazuddin Siddiqui is a name widely recognised 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.
He went on to recall a conversation he had with his father during that period: “One day, my father called me and asked, ‘What are you doing in these films?’ I asked him what he meant. He said, ‘Everyone says your son is getting beaten in these movies. Why do you take on these roles?’ I replied, ‘I don’t get anything else; I’m trying.’ Then he said, ‘Then stop coming here after getting beaten up.’ I was very upset hearing that and didn’t return to my village for three years.”
Nawazuddin then remembered how his career took a turn with Anurag Kashyap’s Gangs of Wasseypur, which truly put him on the map. In the film, he portrayed a gangster who wreaked havoc on everyone around him. After the film’s release, he called his father and returned to his village. “I went back and asked him, ‘So, what do you think?’ He said, ‘Yes, this time you did a good job.’”
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In the same conversation, he reflected on how his mother has always been immensely proud of seeing him on screen. He specifically recalled her reaction after watching him in Salman Khan’s Kick. “There was a scene in Kick where I was sitting on piles of money, dressed well. After she watched the film, I asked her how she liked it. She said it was a good film and she enjoyed my role. Then I asked her what she liked the most. She said, ‘The best part was when you were sitting on thousands and thousands of notes, that scene really pleased me.’ I asked her why, and she said, ‘Because you were sitting on so much money.’”
Nawazuddin Siddiqui was last seen in the film Thamma.
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