Nawazuddin Siddiqui

19 May, 1974 |

Actor

Biography

Nawazuddin Siddiqui is an Indian film actor born in a small town of Muzaffarnagar district in Uttar Pradesh from a Muslim family, where his father is a farmer. Siddiqui grew up amongst nine siblings, seven brothers and two sisters. After graduating in science from Gurukul Kangri University in Haridwar, Uttarakand, he worked as a chemist in a petrochemical company for a short while. But boredom set in soon, and he moved to Delhi. He graduated from the The National School of Drama (NSD), New Delhi in 1996 for his theatre academics. After graduating from NSD, he shifted to Mumbai. In 2004, which was one of the worst years of his struggle, he couldn’t pay any rent. He asked an NSD senior if he could stay with him. The senior allowed him to share his apartment in Goregaon if he was willing to cook meals for him. Nawazuddin made his Bollywood debut in 1999, with a small role in Aamir Khan starrer, Sarfarosh. After that, he hung out at film studios and shootings but only got stereotypical roles. He shared screen along with Sunil Dutt and Sanjay Dutt in Munnabhai MBBS in the opening scenes where he tries to pick the pocket of Sunil Dutt. After moving to Mumbai he tried to get work in television serials, but did not achieve much success. His appearance in Anurag Kashyap's Black Friday (2004) paved way for other powerful roles. However it was his role of a journalist in Aamir Khan Productions's Peepli Live (2010), that first got him recognition as an actor.  Anurag Kashyap's gangster epic Gangs of Wasseypur followed which furthered his fame. He lives in Mumbai at Yari Road, Andheri West with his younger brother Shamaas Nawab Siddiqui, who is a director. He is married and has a daughter named Shora.