Nawazuddin Siddiqui: An Outsider Who Carved a Niche for Himself at Bollywood

As per the records go, Bollywood has been (for most of its time) friendlier to those who have pre-existent godfathers than the ones who’ve been ‘outsiders’. But, once in every blue moon, comes a rock star from the outer arena and conquers the entire industry. And the most recent addition to that has been Nawazuddin Siddiqui.

Call him Faizal Khan, or Babumoshai Bandookbaaz, the man is a savage.

He has proved his mettle in acting and his phenomenal growth has been inspiring to each person who seeks to follow his/her dreams.

But, Nawaz did not start pretty well. To him, the story until Gangs of Wasseypur was all rough and dry.

Nawaz was the eighth child of his father, among others, who was a farmer in a village of Uttar Pradesh. So, poverty was the default lifestyle for him.

In that suburb of Uttar Pradesh, crime was plenty. Unlike many, little Nawaz had seen more of India pretty up close.

HUMARE YAHAN, BANDOOK… KATTA… SAB HATH HI ME REHTA THA… AAM BAAT THI!

(From where I come, revolvers were common. Everybody had one!)

Nawazuddin at AIB Podcast, Youtube.

But, those hideous surroundings did not stop him from his dream to become an actor someday. He was moved at a play, where the germ of becoming an actor seeded into his mind.

MAINE SOCHA… I CAN DO THIS TOO. MAZA AAYEGA!

(I just thought, I can do this too. It will be fun!)

-Nawazuddin, at Zee News.

When he grew up, to earn a living, he did several odd jobs scaling from worker at a pharmacy to a watchman at apartments.

Later with some funds in the pocket, he joined National School of Drama, Delhi and started working in small movie roles.

Nawazuddin acted in more than ten plays with a group of friends, to fulfill one criterion for his admission at NSD.

His first noticeable appearance was in 2009, at a cameo in the song “Emotional Atyachar” from Anurag Kashyap’s modern noir remake Dev D. He also appeared in the movie New York in a role of a troubled petitioner. However, it was his role of a journalist Rizvi’s Peepli Live (2010), that fetched him wide recognition as an actor.

After several years of similar struggle, Gangs of Wasseypur by Anurag Kashyap became his biggest acclaim to fame.

His role as Faizal Khan was defined cult and he quickly became a household name across the nation.

Now that he is all settled into the industry, he has proved that if you are stubborn enough to stand strong and keep on pushing the peddle, any tide can be crossed.

NAWAZUDDIN SIDDIQUE IS AN EXAMPLE OF TALENT NOT GOING UNNOTICED IN BOLLYWOOD.

-Amitabh Bachchan, Senior Actor.

Being from a non-cinematic background, the man has carved a niche for himself. And, his confidence, humble attitude to problems and stubbornness to achieve his dreams have made him the most loved actor of this decade.

As a great man once said:

Follow your heart, it knows the way!