Latest news with #GangsofWasseypur–Part2
Time of India
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Nawazuddin Siddiqui is back playing a ‘struggler' 15 years after his big break 'Sarfarosh'
For Nawazuddin Siddiqui , the story of struggle isn't just a chapter in his life—it's the foundation of his entire journey. Though he technically made his big-screen debut in John Matthew Matthan 's Sarfarosh back in 1999, Nawazuddin's true moment under the spotlight arrived much later, in 2012, with Anurag Kashyap's Gangs of Wasseypur – Part 2. That film didn't just launch him—it rewrote his destiny. But it took him fourteen long years to get there. Years filled with rejection, hardship, and relentless hustle. That deep-seated experience of battling through the fringes of the film industry has shaped the actor he is today, making him uniquely connected to roles that capture the essence of the underdog. In fact, Nawaz's uncanny ability to embody struggling artists was already evident in Dibakar Banerjee 's Star from the 2013 anthology Bombay Talkies. The role fit him like a second skin—it didn't feel like acting; it felt like reliving. Now, over a decade since his breakout, Nawazuddin is stepping back into familiar territory with 'Main Actor Nahi Hoon' (which translates to I'm Not An Actor), directed by Aditya Kripalani . This time, he plays a man who, despite living in Germany, works as an acting coach for a woman in Mumbai—their entire connection unfolding through FaceTime calls. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Here's A List Of Cheapest Steel Suppliers In 2025 (See List) Steel Suppliers | search ads Search Now Undo The film promises to explore ambition, mentorship, and identity through a unique storytelling format that mirrors today's hyper-digital world. For Nawazuddin, stepping into the mind space of a struggling actor still feels instinctive. In a candid conversation with SCREEN magazine, he shared, 'It's very easy because that phase was very long. I was a struggling actor for 12-15 years. I'm still struggling, though in different ways. But yes, when you have first-hand experience, it becomes quite easy to play a character.' His words reveal something many might miss—the struggle never really leaves. It just changes shape. Even after years of success and critical acclaim, Nawaz continues to navigate challenges, albeit on a different scale today. 'Main Actor Nahi Hoon' recently had its world premiere at the Cinequest Film Festival in San Jose, California—fittingly close to Apple's headquarters, a small nod to the tech-driven storytelling that the film seems to embrace. As Nawazuddin looks ahead, his plate is full. He will next be seen in Noorani Chehra, Sangeen, and the much-anticipated Raat Akeli Hai 2. But no matter how far he travels, it's clear that the role of the struggler—the relentless dreamer—will always be home turf for him.
Time of India
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
15 years after his breakout role, Nawazuddin Siddiqui is back to being a ‘struggler' in new film
Nawazuddin Siddiqui may have first appeared on the big screen in John Matthew Matthan's 1999 police drama Sarfarosh, but his true breakthrough didn't arrive until 2012, when he captivated audiences in Anurag Kashyap's gritty gangster saga Gangs of Wasseypur – Part 2. That long wait of fourteen years, filled with perseverance, hardship, and unwavering determination, has become such an intrinsic part of his identity that portraying the role of a struggling artist came naturally to him. This was especially evident in Dibakar Banerjee's short film Star, a segment in the 2013 anthology Bombay Talkies, where he convincingly stepped into the shoes of a struggling actor . Now, over a decade since he became a leading face in Indian cinema with diverse roles in multiple languages and storytelling formats, Siddiqui is set to embody the life of a struggling actor once again. In Aditya Kripalani's upcoming feature Main Actor Nahi Hoon (which translates to I'm Not An Actor), he takes on the part of a man who, though residing in Germany, works as an acting coach to a woman in Mumbai—exclusively through FaceTime video calls. The film explores the nuances of mentorship , ambition, and identity, all while relying on an unconventional storytelling format. Play Video Pause Skip Backward Skip Forward Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration 0:00 Loaded : 0% 0:00 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 1x Playback Rate Chapters Chapters Descriptions descriptions off , selected Captions captions settings , opens captions settings dialog captions off , selected Audio Track default , selected Picture-in-Picture Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Play War Thunder now for free War Thunder Play Now Undo For Siddiqui, slipping into the mindset of a struggling actor doesn't require much effort. Having spent more than a decade grappling with rejection and hardship in the early phase of his career, he finds the emotional memory still sharp and deeply embedded. In an interview with SCREEN magazine, he acknowledged that his prolonged journey of 12 to 15 years in obscurity still resonates with him. In many ways, he continues to experience challenges—albeit of a different nature today. That intimate familiarity with the world of the underdog allows him to infuse authenticity and rawness into such roles. "It's very easy because that phase was very long. I was a struggling actor for 12-15 years. I'm still struggling, though in different ways. But yes, when you have first-hand experience, it becomes quite easy to play a character," he told the magazine. Main Actor Nahi Hoon had its world premiere at the Cinequest Film Festival, held in San Jose, California—an event that takes place near the headquarters of Apple. In addition to this film, Nawazuddin Siddiqui will be seen in three upcoming projects: Noorani Chehra, Sangeen, and the sequel Raat Akeli Hai 2.
Indian Express
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Nawazuddin Siddiqui on his upcoming film Main Actor Nahi Hoon and why it's easy to play a struggling actor: ‘I've seen that phase for 14 years'
Nawazuddin Siddiqui may have made his film debut with John Matthew Matthan's 1999 cop thriller Sarfarosh, but he didn't get his breakout role till Anurag Kashyap's gangster epic Gangs of Wasseypur – Part 2 in 2012. Those 14 years of relentless strife are so ingrained in him that playing a struggling actor was a cakewalk for him in Dibakar Banerjee's segment 'Star' in the 2013 anthology Bombay Talkies. Now, after 12 years of playing the lead in several films across languages and genres, Siddiqui will be seen essaying a struggling actor yet again in Aditya Kripalani's upcoming movie Main Actor Nahi Hoon (I'm Not An Actor). He plays a struggling actor in Germany who becomes an acting coach to a woman in Mumbai over FaceTime. For an actor worth his salt, playing a struggling one comes easy or tough? ''It's very easy because that phase was very long. I was a struggling actor for 12-15 years. I'm still struggling, though in different ways. But yes, when you have first-hand experience, it becomes quite easy to play a character,' says Siddiqui in an exclusive interview with SCREEN. 'From the very first day, his pitch as a bad actor was just perfect. It wasn't too dramatic or fake. The acting seemed naturally bad. That's the best compliment I can give (laughs),' says Kripalani. For both the actors and the filmmaker, the challenges were more logistical than creative. For instance, it's the first film that's been fully shot in real time over FaceTime across 28 days. While Siddiqui was shivering in Germany, his co-star Chitrangada Satarpura was sweating in Mumbai. 'Like me, Nawaz comes from a place which isn't too cold. He was in Germany in 2 degrees, so was in quite a bad shape,' points out Kripalani. 'The environment impacts your performance a lot. It was so cold I couldn't even pronounce the 'r' when I had to say English words like process. Also, I had to narrate chunky Shakespeare dialogues in English. Even though I have done Shakespeare plays in Hindi in the past, the English words would just not come out right because of the cold,' says Siddiqui. The climate difference posed bigger hurdles in the filming process. While Siddiqui would wonder why it's taking so long for the Mumbai crew to go for a retake, Kripalani had to remind him that the camera there has stopped working because of overheating. 'They couldn't empathize with each other because while Chitrangada was getting scorched, she couldn't imagine Nawaz shivering,' says Kripalani. Another refreshing challenge for Siddiqui was to not be confined by space. He'd film the scene with Chitrangada over FaceTime while walking the streets of Germany or boarding a tram. 'With Nawaz on a tram and Chitra in the local train, we couldn't shoot for 18 minutes without breaks. Although FaceTime is far smoother than other video-calling applications, we all know how the network is so patchy in Mumbai,' reasons Kripalani. 'Plus, to look at each other on video call and emote, I'm sure it wasn't easy,' says Kripalani. Siddiqui agrees that was challenging, but it was part of the world he created for this film. 'There's a belief system an actor works with in every project. In this film, we just believed that we have to talk only on video calls. That became our world, our life,' says Siddiqui. 'We met for the first time on FaceTime itself. We weren't allowed to meet after that, so that's how her character started appearing to me as well. I actually believed she's as irritating as her character. Because other than the takes, we just said 'Hi, hello' to each other on FaceTime,' reveals Siddiqui, adding, 'Chitrangada is a young and formidable actor. So you get aware and are on your toes all the time.' Kripalani made sure that he conveyed all his directions to the actors through each other. 'Direct direction is quite dumb so I didn't go there. If I had to say something to Nawaz, I'd do that through Chitra and vice-versa. When I used to direct them through each other, their stimulus was quite natural,' explains Kripalani. Siddiqui also appreciated that the film worked with a very small crew of 10, as opposed to the films he shot for before and after this one, which boasted of a crew strength of 300 to 400. 'I feel if it's a smaller crew, you work better and faster. Otherwise people keep shouting and don't ensure that the actor is given the silence they need. You need to create a conducive atmosphere for a good performance. I'm not Manto who can write in the midst of a crowd,' says Siddiqui, chuckling, since he played the prolific Pakistani writer in Nandita Das' 2018 biopic. Main Actor Nahi Hoon premiered at the Cinequest Film Festival, which takes place in San Jose, California, right next to the Apple headquarters. 'It was quite serendipitous that someone from Apple was sitting next to us and they realized this has been shot completely on iPhones and other Apple devices. Which is why they decided to help us promote the film,' recalls Kripalani. But he feels independent cinema otherwise hasn't been able to reach the pre-pandemic level yet. 'We haven't been able to escape the claws of Covid yet. OTT became so dominant in our lives then that we're still struggling to make an independent film that can release in theatres. So it's unfortunately become a monopoly what kind of films will release in theatres,' says Kripalani. Also Read — After Anurag Kashyap's dig at Netflix CEO, Nawazuddin Siddiqui shows disappointment in streaming platforms: 'Shuruat passion se hoti hai, fir dhandha ban jata hai' He credits actors like Siddiqui for enabling independent cinema since he didn't charge a single rupee for the film and came onboard as a producer. 'If you have power, then share it and elevate others. If everyone starts doing that, no force can keep us down. But every person just starts hoarding the power instead of using or sharing it here. If more powerful people come to a project only with passion, instead of a commerce point of view, so many new projects can start,' says Kripalani, adding, 'But that's the challenge with this journey: the more you have to lose, the more scared you become.'
Indian Express
21-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
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.
