Your birthday (May 19) is coming up in a few days. What are your plans for the big day?
I never celebrate my birthday. I don’t understand why should I celebrate. Simply because society has conditioned us to be that way?
How do you look back on your journey as a star?
I got more than my expectations. I am thankful to the almighty and my directors who believed in me. I have never tried to change myself. I am the same man I was before I was famous. I think this is my positive and negative feature.
What do you think has been an adverse effect of your inability to change?
I was taken because I lead a simple life. But I also got a lot because I was simple. As far as the craft of acting is concerned, it requires me to change every day. I’m open to those changes.
Has the perception of the industry towards you changed now?
Absolutely. That change has happened just as happens to anyone who becomes successful.
Have you ever felt that your co-actor or co-worker felt threatened or insecure because of you?
I do not think so. i play every character Honesty, I don’t know if this is a danger to anyone. I have never tried to be dishonest with my work.
What did you mean when you said in a previous interview, “As long as I’m experimenting, I’ll be alive”?
I always try to do something different. i was shooting for Manto And thackeray simultaneously. I was shooting for the story and gangs of wasseypur simultaneously. I like to experiment with characters drastically different from each other. If I start playing similar roles repeatedly then I’ll leave this job. Nawaz kabhi stereotype ho nahin sakta aur naa hee koi usey stereotype kar kar sakta hai. Main itna ziddi aadmi hoon.
Unfortunately, people become stereotyping superstars. And then get stuck in the same image. Directors also demand the same thing from them because it sells. If a superstar is talented, then his ‘Ada’ is explored more than his talent. Salman Bhai I also try to do different films like Ek Tha Tiger and Bajrangi Bhaijaan but people demand that swag from him. Har film mein swag toh nahin hoga na?
What kind of roles were offered to you after Sacred Games?
I was offered a lot of roles, most of them gangsters. But I didn’t want to do that again. I chose Photograph (2019), in which I play a character you might not even notice in real life.
What advice would you give to an actor who wants to be like Nawazuddin Siddiqui?
Honesty in performance. And if you can bring that honesty in real life too, then there will be no better actor than you. You can become a good actor only when you are a good human being. Performance comes from within, doesn’t it? Sincerity lends a lot to an actor to play a character. That’s why it is very important to be honest in life. So, this is what I say to new actors, be as authentic, original and honest as possible.
How did you manage yourself during the long period of your struggle?
Tried to stay the way I was. The thought never crossed my mind that one day I was going to make it. All I knew was that I needed to keep going. Even today, I feel like I’m still on that journey. I don’t know what is success. There may still be hurdles ahead but I have to keep moving forward. I don’t have any destination. I have never thought about any destination in my life, leave alone my career.
Do you ever think that as an actor or performer you will not live up to the expectations people have of you?
There must be nineteen seeds. I have made many mistakes. But I have also learned from my mistakes.
What did you learn from your mistakes?
I feel bad when I lie to someone. I try to rectify this by taking the path of telling the truth.
How much has cinema changed since you entered the industry?
There was a big change before the pandemic. After the pandemic, I was expecting a big change in cinema, but the kind of movies that are succeeding have characters with guns and kills. There is only action. I have also done some of those films. But sometimes I feel scared.
Before the pandemic, films of a wide variety of genres were being produced. These days even small films look dreadful. I don’t know what they are trying to show. Perhaps this is the math that people watch such films. There is a trend of eavesdropping in the society but it seems to be a salable formula in films. That’s why many such films and series are being made. When I go to sleep, all I see are movie posters, guns, knives and blood everywhere.
Why do you think audiences gravitate towards these action-oriented films?
Maybe people are very angry after the epidemic. I assumed they must have relented. But I agree too. I might be wrong. But even if such a cinema is being made, people are not thronging the theaters to watch it. I thought people would have realized what life is and would make cinema accordingly, like thoughtful, progressive cinema. But it has gone 180 degrees towards the worst side.
Why do you think so many films fail at the box office?
The films that the audience would like to see are not being made. Also watching movies in theaters has become expensive for the common man. He also feels that the film will anyway be available on OTT sometime. Makers also sell the film to OTT platforms and then release it in select theatres.
Do you think good content has moved to OTT?
Cinema coming from outside India can be seen on OTT. The short Indian movies streamed on OTT are worth watching.
Have you decided to stay away from OTT?
No. If I get a good offer, I will definitely do it. I don’t get OTT offers every day, but I do get film offers. People feel that if they are coming to me with a series, it should at least be on the level of Sacred Games.
Have you ever been afraid of being stereotyped?
No, never. Thanks to the industry, the makers have always seen me in different roles. Take a look at my filmography and you will see Gangs of Wasseypur, Talaash, Kahaani and Manjhi The Mountain Man, which stand apart from each other. I always get a different role. Like Jogira Sara Ra Ra Comedy role. I have also played the role of a transgender in Haddi.
How did you manage to switch between such diametrically opposite characters? As you said, you worked on Manto and Thackeray together.
It’s difficult. There were many occasions when I was shooting for Manto during the day and Thackeray at night. But Thackeray’s make-up process was such that once I got into the getup, I used to get into his skin. I used to say, now I am not Manto. I am Thackeray
How does one learn acting? How can one become a better actor?
No one is a born actor. An actor has to go through training and practice. It is not necessary to be in an institution but under an experienced person. Whether it is amateur theatre, the practice of exploring is essential. Talent is important, sure. Training will develop a talented actor. Someone who isn’t talented, even if they go to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), won’t do well.
Have you ever taken a character home? Is it ever difficult to get out of character?
Manto and Raman Raghav 2.0. I was hospitalized after Raman Raghav 2.0. Because of Manto, I have got into the habit of speaking the truth. This caused many problems.