Swnanand Kirkire blames nepotism for Nawazuddin Siddiqui's late breakthrough: ‘His acting abilities were doubted because he wasn't conventionally good-looking'
Nawazuddin Siddiqui made his debut as a lead actor in Anurag Kashyap's 2012 cult crime epic Gangs of Wasseypur – Part 2, and there was no looking back. However, he spent 13 years playing small roles in major films before his breakthrough.
His batchmate from National School of Drama, actor-lyricist-singer Swanand Kirkire, reasoned why it took so long for the Hindi film industry to accept Nawazuddin in a lead role. 'Neither theatre actors nor theatre actresses are conventionally good looking. There's only one Anurag Kashyap who'd make Nawazuddin the hero, otherwise who would? He gave Nawaz a big enough role that the film rested on his shoulders. People love Nawaz so much now because a few believed in him. Otherwise we've all seen the Nawaz pre-Gangs of Wasseypur. People have doubted him and asked, 'How will he act?' There's been so much cruelty against him,' said Swanand.
In the interview with The Lallantop, Swanand Kirkire said all issues like these boil down to the root cause of nepotism. 'Ye cinema ke log, ye cinema ke bachche, aur ye non-cinema ke bachche (there are people of cinema, children of cinema, and children of non-cinema),' pointed out Swanand, adding that nepotism is pervasive. 'Even in Indian classical music, the guru has always discriminated between his disciple and his children. The same discrimination exists even in advocacy with lawyers,' said Swanand.
Nawazuddin Siddiqui began his acting career with a small part in John Matthew Mathan's 1999 cop drama Sarfarosh alongside Aamir Khan. He followed it up with brief appearances in Ram Gopal Varma's 1999 crime drama Shool, Rajkumar Hirani's 2003 blockbuster gangster comedy Munna Bhai MBBS, Anurag Kashyap's 2007 crime drama Black Friday, Kabir Khan's 2009 thriller New York, Anurag's 2009 romantic film Dev. D, Anusha Rizvi's 2010 satire Peepli Live, Sujoy Ghosh's 2011 thriller Kahaani, and Tigmanshu Dhulia's 2012 sports drama Paan Singh Tomar.
After his breakthrough with Gangs of Wasseypur: Part 2, Nawazuddin has led films like Ketan Mehta's Manjhi – The Mountain Man (2015), Anurag's Raman Raghav 2.0 (2016), Sohail Khan's Freaky Ali (2016), Shlok Sharma's Haraamkhor (2017), Babumoshai Bandookbaaz (2017), Nandita Das' Manto (2018), Thackeray (2019), Ritesh Batra's Photograph (2019), Tannishtha Chatterjee's Roam Rome Mein (2019), Motichoor Chaknachoor (2019), Ghoomketu (2020), Honey Trehan's Raat Akeli Hai (2020), Sudhir Mishra's Serious Men (2020), No Land's Man (2021), Sudhir Mishra's Afwaah (2023), Jogira Sara Ra Ra (2023), Tiku Weds Sheru (2023), Haddi (2023), Rautu Ka Raaz (2024), and Adbhut (2024). He's also headlined two seasons of Anurag Kashyap and Vikramaditya Motwane's Netflix India Original show Sacred Games. Nawazuddin will be next seen in the lead role in the film Costao, which will drop on ZEE5 on May 1.
In the interview, Swanand also admitted that there are more male actors from NSD who've grabbed lead roles than their female counterparts. Case in point: Naseeruddin Shah, Om Puri, Pankaj Kapur, and Irrfan Khan. 'In my time, 16-18-year old girls were made actors. An NSD graduate has to study for three years, do theatre, and then consider moving to Mumbai. By that time, they miss the criteria that the industry has set,' said Swanand. He cited Rasika Dugal, Anjali Patil, and Monika Pawar as great products of NSD in the film industry.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Pink Villa
12 minutes ago
- Pink Villa
28 Years Later Box Office: Danny Boyle's zombie horror film collects Rs 1.35 crore in 3 days
After Final Destination: Bloodlines had ended its run, the Indian audience got another horror film from Hollywood in the form of Danny Boyle's 28 Years Later. This Zombie film was released in theaters on June 20, 2025. This much-awaited 3rd installment of the 28 Days Later series is led by Alfie Williams, Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and others in the lead. As the fans had hoped, this latest movie opened with a positive response in cinemas. 28 Years Later starts slow: collects only Rs 1.35 crore in its opening weekend As expected from a horror film centred around zombies in the Indian market, 28 Years Later has seen a slow start at the ticket windows. It started with a net of Rs 35 lakh on Friday, and later showed an upward trend to Rs 50 lakh on Saturday. Later, the film remained steady on its first Sunday with a collection of Rs 50 lakh again. While this 2002 origin franchise enjoys a decent fanbase among certain sections of the Indian audience, horror as a genre has always had its limitations in the country. While it is performing extraordinarily in the remaining of its targeted markets internationally, the response to the film in India is comparatively much lower. A major factor contributing to its performance in India is the theatrical competition it is getting, not just from Indian films but from other Hollywood films too. The Indian theaters are currently flooded with several other releases like Sitaare Zameen Par, How To Train Your Dragon, Materialists, and Ballerina, among others. The Day Wise Net India Box Office Collections Of 28 Years Later Are As Under Days India Net Collections Day 1 Rs 35 lakh Day 2 Rs 50 lakh Day 3 Rs 50 lakh Total Rs 1.35 crore The Danny Boyle- directed 28 Years Later marks the theatrical return of this horror franchise on the big screen nearly 2 decades after 28 Weeks Later. Stay tuned to Pinkvilla for more updates.
News18
20 minutes ago
- News18
Former Miss India Ruhii Singh To Star In Milap Zaveri's Masti 4, Begins Comic Timing Prep
Last Updated: Ruhii Singh joins Masti 4 as the lead opposite Aftab Shivdasani. The actress is sharpening her comic timing for the Milap Zaveri comedy. Shoot begins in London soon. Actor and former Miss India Ruhii Singh is all set to bring her lively spirit and 'goofy" side to the silver screen, having joined the cast of Masti 4—the fourth installment in Bollywood's long-running, beloved adult comedy franchise. The film, helmed by Milap Zaveri and produced by Indra Kumar and Ashok Thakeria under the Maruti International banner, promises a fresh dose of laughs, outrageous antics, and all the chaos fans have come to expect from the Masti universe. This marks a significant milestone for Ruhii, who plays one of the three female leads opposite Aftab Shivdasani, with whom she shares the screen for the first time. Determined to deliver a pitch-perfect performance, Ruhii has dived deep into preparation—particularly focusing on sharpening her comic timing and building authentic rhythm with the script. In a candid statement, Ruhii said, 'I'm watching lots of comedy films and works of legendary comedy actors like Melissa McCarthy, Jim Carrey, Robin Williams, Paresh Rawal, Tina Fey, etc., to understand their comic timing and the art better. I'm also working closely with my acting teacher, Abhay Joshi from the National School of Drama, on the script and my scenes. I'm very excited and looking forward to performing with preparation." While Ruhii is often recognised for her glamorous roles and confident screen presence, this opportunity to tap into a full-blown comedy marks a new, exciting chapter in her acting journey. Her selection also feels like a natural progression—she is, after all, the brand ambassador of the Indian Comic Association, and those close to her often describe her as delightfully 'goofy" in real life. 'Masti is amongst the biggest fun franchises in India," she said. 'To be in a space that has previously seen such brilliant talent is an honour. I feel blessed to be one among them. To say I am excited to start shooting soon is an understatement. Thank you, Milap Zaveri, for the big thumbs up." The Masti series, which began in 2004, redefined adult comedy in Bollywood. The original film featured the iconic trio of Riteish Deshmukh, Vivek Oberoi, and Aftab Shivdasani, alongside female leads such as Amrita Rao, Genelia D'Souza, and Tara Sharma. With its rib-tickling humour and outrageous escapades, it became an instant cult favourite. Masti 2 (Grand Masti) followed in 2013, and Masti 3 (Great Grand Masti) hit theatres in 2016. Each installment introduced new female leads—Karishma Tanna, Sonalee Kulkarni, Manjari Fadnis, Mishti, Pooja Bose, and Shraddha Das—who brought freshness to the franchise's recurring themes of friendship, mischief, and misunderstood relationships. Now, nearly a decade later, Masti 4 is all set to revive the franchise with a new storyline, bigger production scale, and a vibrant cast that promises to blend nostalgia with novelty. Production for Masti 4 is already in motion. In December 2024, Aftab Shivdasani began filming and shared several behind-the-scenes glimpses on social media. One photo showed him holding a clapboard marked 'Masti 4,' while another featured him posing with co-star Riteish Deshmukh. Bollywood veteran Jeetendra also made an appearance during the shoot's commencement, posing warmly with the cast and crew. Although Vivek Oberoi wasn't present at the launch, he posted a humorous video from the set, featuring Riteish, and teased his return to the franchise. '#Masti4 is now officially a love story—the bromance begins!" he quipped. '20 years of madness since the first one! Sorry I couldn't make it for the launch boys @milapzaveri @riteishd @aftabshivdasani. Will see you at the shoot super soon!" Milap Zaveri, known for his flair for commercial entertainers, seems poised to inject new energy into the franchise while retaining its signature irreverent tone. Joining forces with Waveband Productions' A Jhunjhunwala and SK Ahluwalia, Masti 4 aims to be a laugh riot with a new-age twist. Ruhii Singh is set to fly to London by the end of this month to begin filming. The international schedule hints at a more expansive, visually grand setting for this installment, with a cast that is geared up to create comic magic once again. First Published:
Hindustan Times
35 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
‘Oxford University gets a taste of Bollywood' as desi boys dance their hearts out. Watch
A group of desi boys has taken the internet by storm after releasing a colourful Bollywood-style dance video filmed at Oxford University. The video was shot at famous locations across the campus, including Lady Margaret Hall and other iconic Oxford spots. Bollywood energy met Oxford charm in a viral dance by desi boys.(Screengrab Instagram/@druvphk ) Wearing modern outfits, the boys performed energetic Bollywood dance moves on 'Desi Boyz' in gardens, halls, and stone paths. Created by alumnus Druv Punjabi and his crew, the video shows a joyful mix of Indian culture and Oxford's historic charm. The video was posted on Instagram by @druvphk and soon went viral. "Check out this incredible Bollywood dance video filmed at Lady Margaret Hall and other iconic Oxford spots – created by alumnus Druv Punjabi and crew." the caption reads. Also Read: 'Second-hand embarrassment': Indian tourists criticised for public dance in Bangkok Many praised the group for their confidence, creativity, and the way they blended Bollywood with elegance. The lively steps, and Oxford backdrop made the video stand out. Check out the video here: The viral video was posted on June 21, 2025, and since then it has garnered more than 30,000 views. Here's how people reacted to the viral video: Soon after the video was shared on Instagram, it started going viral. Viewers from around the world called it 'a perfect mix". One of the users, @prof_k.marwaha, commented, 'God Bless you Desi Boys - lovely to see the Indian Culture coming through to University Of Oxford'. A second user, @pandya_krupa, commented, 'Aah bollywood making it to Oxford halls, seriously vocal for local working guys'. Also Read: 'I'm a Gujju and you guys need to stop': Indian tourists hijack Austria street with loud music and Garba, face backlash Another user, @ptashkina_97, commented, 'And because of Oxford i feel that our life is really magical'. With its mix of Bollywood energy and Oxford's charm, the performance was more than just a viral moment- it became a joyful celebration.
