Nawazuddin Siddiqui Lashes Out At Criticism Against ‘Thackeray’: I Am An Actor, I Will Do Any Role

Nawazuddin Siddiqui lashed out at criticism against his upcoming movie Thackeray, and said that as an actor, he will do any role.

Even before its release, the biopic Thackeray has created a stir among different groups of people. Thackeray is a movie on the life of the late Shiv Sena leader Balasaheb Thackeray and the one playing the titular role is one among the finest actors in the Hindi film industry now. Nawazuddin Siddiqui will be playing the role of the controversial figure and he has already received flak from groups on both sides of the issue. But Nawaz knows his grounding as an actor and he lashed out at those criticizing him for taking up this role.

'Rather Than Broadening Their Thoughts, People Are Making It Narrower

'Rather Than Broadening Their Thoughts, People Are Making It Narrower

Nawazuddin Siddiqui has been receiving a lot of flak from netizens and fellow actors from the industry for accepting the role of Balasaheb Thackeray, a controversial figure to say the least. However, Nawaz is sure of his stand on this. When asked to comment on the backlash he has been receiving, Nawaz told Times Now, "Thousands of people will say thousands of things... today every little thing is turning out to become a controversy. Rather than broadening their thoughts, people are making it narrower."

'I Am An Actor. I Will Do Any Role'

'I Am An Actor. I Will Do Any Role'

His Gangs of Wasseypur co-star Richa Chadha called Nawaz ‘bipolar' for taking up the role. The stand is that Thackeray was a Hindu fundamentalist and was hostile towards migrants from the North, particularly from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Nawaz defended his decision in playing the role and said, "I am an actor, I will do any role. And moreover, has anyone tried to see the other side of it? Now, Shiv Sena, their team or Sanjay Raut gave me this role not on the basis of my caste. They didn't see if I am a Muslim or whatever. They consider me as an artist who can do justice to a character like Balasaheb Thackeray. Why is nobody talking about this?"

Nawaz On Playing Thackeray Being A Muslim From UP

Nawaz On Playing Thackeray Being A Muslim From UP

Many think it is ironic that a Muslim actor from Uttar Pradesh will be seen playing the role of Balasaheb Thackeray. Nawaz responded to this by saying, "If I am born in a certain community then how am I responsible for that? It's not something that we get out of choice."

He Is Unfazed By All The Criticism

He Is Unfazed By All The Criticism

But Nawaz is unfazed by all the criticism and backlash. "Everyone's reaction is going to be different because Balasaheb Thackeray was one such personality. Everyone has their freedom of speech and expression, so they can go on."

How It Felt When He Was First Approached With The Role

How It Felt When He Was First Approached With The Role

In an interview with Scroll, Nawaz shared how he felt when he was first asked to play Bal Thackeray. He said, "I couldn't believe it. The producer, (Sanjay) Raut saab, approached me and I agreed. I was happy. There was nervousness as well, because I knew I had to work very hard on the role. The film is also in Marathi and Hindi, and I am not familiar with Marathi. So I had to work on the language too."

'I Want People To See An Impression Of Balasaheb In Me'

'I Want People To See An Impression Of Balasaheb In Me'

On prepping for the role, Nawaz told Scroll, "Everyone knows who Balasahab Thackeray is. We have a lot of his footage and interviews on the internet. My focus was on how he used to live in his private space and how he behaved."

"One of the biggest parts of my preparation was to understand what I shouldn't do in a biopic. You shouldn't do mimicry or caricature. I want people to see an impression of Balasaheb in me," he added.

Thackeray is directed by Abhijit Panse, and also stars Amrita Rao who will be playing Thackeray's wife Meenatai. It is set to release on January 25, 2019.

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