Acting is my everything, it's my life: Nawazuddin
A Draft Correspondent | Panjim
"If you have to begin from zero, you have to first unlearn what you have learnt," said Nawazuddin Siddiqui who has appeared in some of the biggest Hindi-language films such as Black Friday, New York, Peepli Live, Kahani and Gangs of Wasseypur. He was speaking at the ‘In-Conversation’ session on the topic ‘Journey as an Actor’ organised on the sidelines of IFFI53 in Goa.
Speaking about his journey of becoming an actor he said after graduating from a local college, he worked as a chemist in a petrochemical company for a while. However, to fulfill his dream of becoming an actor he started theatre and eventually got admitted to the National School of Drama (NSD), Delhi.
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| Nawazuddin Siddiqui interacting with the audience at IFFI |
When asked about the struggles and challenges he faced in the early days of his career, Nawazuddin recalled how he was offered small roles which he had to accept in the absence of any alternative to survive. "It's the difficult time that makes you strong," he said.
Responding to a question on how Gangs of Wasseypur turned out to be a turning point in his acting career, he said 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.
Nawazuddin Siddiqui also shared his experiences of working in OTT web-series and shows. He admitted he was hesitant initially as he had no idea about OTT but filmmaker Anurag Kashyap convinced him to go ahead.
The actor spoke about playing versatile roles in biopics like Manto where he played the role of prominent Urdu author Saadat Hasan Manto and Thackeray in which he portrayed politician Bal Thackeray.
When asked from where he gets the drive and motivation to work everyday, Nawazuddin said acting is his hobby and he doesn't get tired of it. “Acting is my everything, it's my life. Even one life is not enough to satiate my thirst for acting," he added. He also shared some details on his role as a transgender in his upcoming movie Haddi.
