EXCLUSIVE! Nawazuddin Siddiqui's Heartfelt Conversation About Hindi Film Industry, Star System, And Struggle

Nawazuddin Siddiqui is one of the outspoken actors in the film industry who does not mince words anymore. He tells the journalist sitting in front of him that he does not like box office-related questions at all. He openly criticizes the decades-old prejudices of Bollywood and talks about honesty in acting.

His upcoming film Jogira Sara Ra Ra is going to hit the theaters on May 26. In an exclusive conversation with Filmibeat, Nawazuddin Siddiqui talks at length about his journey in the film industry.

He says, "In every film, I try to show the honesty in my character. Sometimes it shows on the screen, sometimes it doesn't. But I make the effort. Sometimes I get trapped, sometimes I get corrupt, sometimes mistakes happen, sometimes I feel why I did this film, but this is the journey."

Excerpts from the interview.

Q. You don't like being asked about box office and numbers, however, what do you think about film promotions?

A. Film promotion has become a tradition now, so it has to be done. Everyone wants to take his film to as many people as possible. But in between when someone asks about box office or talks about figures, that thing seems strange to an actor like me. We are not doing films thinking of numbers. We love art, we are passionate about it. Be it any form of art, for example, if I am fond of painting then I will make it, then I will not make it thinking how much it will sell for. I think the questions about box office are being asked by the wrong people. Just ask the producers, financers about it, they will give you the correct answer as they are the experts.

Q. But cinema is a kind of business, so actors must be affected by it somewhere?

A. I don't think that they should be affected. There are many reasons why a film flops. Sometimes it happens that the film itself is releasing on just 60 screens and the makers expect the actor to get an opening of 4 crores, so it is impossible, isn't it? Then the actor is blamed that he cannot make the film a hit. According to me, it is in the hands of the producer how to make the film a success. Those who handle marketing should have an idea about it. Whether the film is good or bad will be known later, but the first step is to bring the audience to the theatres.

Q. When films do not get the expected screens, does it break your heart as an actor?

A. Of course, it is very sad that the film is not reaching the audience. When the film reaches people, everyone sees it, then it is decided whether the film is good or bad. But first, it should reach the people. When audiences see that the film is not available in their nearby theatres, then they finally watch it on YouTube or OTT and realize it was a very good film, we missed it.

Q. Your acting has always been appreciated and loved by the audience.

A. Absolutely, and it gives a motivation to do good work. I think it is because of audiences that I try to work harder in every next film. People's love motivates me.

Q. How do you see the content of Hindi films in today's time?

A. I feel that the present content of Hindi cinema is becoming very repetitive. Before the pandemic, quite a few good films came. Audience's response was also very good. But after the pandemic, the table turned around. Something unexpected happened. Now the audience is not coming to the theatres. And there are many reasons behind this; be it the cost of tickets or people spending more time on Instagram and Reels. Along with this, people have also become used to watching OTT content sitting comfortably at home. They are getting everything on OTT so why would they come to theatres, unless you give them something great.

Q. Do you think, one of the reasons is also that writers are not being given that much importance, due to which the content is not able to pull the audience to the theatres?

A. This is also absolutely true. The content being written is very superficial. The films are big in terms of budget, but what is the audience getting? There are so many good writers in the industry, attention should be given to them. This is very important.

Q. What do you think about the star system? Nowadays a lot of questions are being raised regarding the fees of the stars.

A. Gone are the days when star power was being used to pull audiences to the theatres. People used to come to see the film to see their favourite superstars. But now that too is not a scene, then what is the point of such high fees? Many makers are now even following profit-sharing plan. This is good. The second thing is that if a star is doing a film, and he has a fan following, but even after that the film did not work, then the blame should go not only on the star, but also on its writer and director. Everyone is an equal participant in the film. But yes, change must come in the industry. Whether it is about the content or about anything else. I won't be able to put my finger on any one thing right now, but change is necessary. That's why I try to experiment with my characters as much as I can.

Q. You have been in films for more than two decades. How easy or difficult is it, even today, to play the characters with the same passion and bring newness to the screen?

A. It is not easy, every role has to be started from zero. It is difficult to completely get out from one character and then delve into the other, and play it with ease. Behind this ease, there is much effort.

Q. And what is the motivation behind this hard work?

A. The motivation is that I have a journey, I am going forward on it and I have not thought of any destination where I will go. I just have to go. This is my life and I am happy in this life. There will be ups and downs, sometimes a film will work, sometimes it will not, sometimes it will be a huge hit, all these are part of our work. I just have to keep working with hard work, with honesty.

Q. Few months back, you made a statement that I will die but will not do small roles anymore.

A. Yes, I would not do that at all. I have struggled for 12 years, done many small roles, will not do it now.

Q. But, it is also said that whether the role is big or small, it should not make any difference to an actor.

A. There is a difference. Great films like this are made only in Hollywood, where the roles are not considered as big or small. But, it matters here in Bollywood. For example, in this film (Jogira Sa Ra Ra), all are excellent actors, Sanjay Mishra and all. They are not less than anyone. Ask them about their dreams. They also want to play a lead role, don't they? But do they get it? There is only one in thousands and lakhs, who finds that path. So this is not injustice? There are so many good actors in our country and they just remain as supporting actors their whole career. Who are these lead actors? Do they have that much talent? Who would have thought of these artists? Their dreams, for which they worked so hard for years. Some took 12 years, some 15 years, but even today they are supporting actors. Who decides that only an actor with a special look will play the main lead role? Talent should get prominence. If you are making an honest film, then your principle should be that the right talent should be a part of the film and it can come from anywhere.

Q. How do you deal with ups and downs in your career?

A. Bachchan ji inspires me a lot in this regard. No one would have seen such beautiful ups and downs than him. When you have such examples in front of you, you can take inspiration from them. He went through so many different phases in his career. Even today he is so active, does so much work. Success is when you stand again even after falling. I deal with it in the same way.

Q. As an actor, what are your aspirations now?

A. I wish to experiment more now. Whether it is a big film or a small-budget film, it doesn't matter. How much I can bring emotions from deep inside, that matters to me now. I think, one has several personalities hidden within them. We don't even know how many types of emotions are there, and I want to touch all those emotions inside me.

Q. So, are you getting that chance to experiment?

A. Yes, of course. Maybe that's why I do a lot of characters with flaws. Be it Sacred Games or Gangs of Wasseypur, my characters have a lot of flaws. To be honest, I do not get attracted to those characters, in which there is only goodness. We are not God. You are a human being and you are bound to have some flaws and this is what makes the characters relatable.

Q. Talking about experiments, a few months back, you shared the look from the film Haddi, which was discussed a lot and people adored it. Can you tell something about that character?

A. It was very difficult. That character itself was very painful for me. Its shooting is over, only a day or two of work is left, but I don't have the courage to start that again. As soon as I wear the costume of that character, I go to a world where there is a lot of pain. I can understand the pain of that community now, who aspires to become a woman. Before shooting for the film, I lived with transgenders and I understood that their only desire in life is to become a woman. That's why I have done this character as a female and not as a transgender. As an actor, in my mind, I used to consider myself a woman. The way they are seeing in society, the attitude they face, I can understand all those difficulties and discomfort now.

Q. When playing such an intense character, which is emotionally demanding, how difficult is it as an actor to tap into that emotion? Do you remember any event of your life or what is the process?

A. It depends. Sometimes the whole past life rewinds like a tape in your head. There are many such scenes where you have to remember an incident and that becomes very painful for the actor. People from outside do not know what the actor is remembering in his mind while doing this scene. You have to scratch your wounds many times. The memories that are somewhere deep inside, have to be extracted. I had adopted that process in Haddi, when I reopened some painful wounds of my life. During one scene, I remembered my younger sister when she passed away from cancer. She was 25 years old. Normally I get scared even thinking about it because it breaks me down, but in the shoot of this film I went through that.

Q. It is not easy to bring such honesty to the character.

A. Absolutely, the most important thing is to be truthful in your performance for any character. If you are in pain, that same pain is reflected on the screen and then the audience appreciates it. It is said that before being a good actor you have to be a good person. It can never happen that someone is a good actor and a bad person. If it is so, then you are judging the person wrong. Nowadays, anyway, people have become more judgmental.

Q. You are doing a film with Kangana Ranaut. She also praises you a lot. What do you think about her as a producer?

A. I adore Kangana because she is such a wonderful actress. She is an amazing talent and an equally amazing producer. I hope she produces more films in the future. When I was doing her film, not only me but all the actors who were in the film used to leave the set happy and satisfied. She created such a good environment and it is commendable. If you want to learn how to be a good producer, then you should learn from Kangana.

Q. How important do you consider social media as an actor?

A. As far as films are concerned, it is a good medium for film promotion. A lot of people are making money out of it too, which is a great thing. But I believe that do not let negativity spread too much. It is said that it takes time to spread love but hate spreads very easily. So I believe that positivity should be spread through this medium.

Q. Can you share something about your upcoming films?

A. After Jogira Sara Ra Ra, my next film will be Tiku Weds Sheru, then Haddi, Adbhut, Bole Chudiyan, and Noorani Chehra. All these films are in pipeline.