Few actors in Indian cinema embody resilience like Nawazuddin Siddiqui. Today, he stands among Bollywood’s most acclaimed performers, known for his depth, realism, and unmatched ability to inhabit complex
characters. But his rise was far from overnight. It took nearly two decades of struggle, rejection, and small, often unnoticed roles before he finally broke through.
Before Gangs of Wasseypur turned him into a household name, Nawazuddin was the face you might miss in the crowd — a fleeting figure in films like Sarfarosh or Munna Bhai MBBS, often playing a petty criminal or background character who ends up getting thrashed by the hero.
“My Father Was Tense Seeing Me Get Beaten in Every Film”
In a recent conversation with YouTuber Raj Shamani, the actor opened up about a lesser-known part of his early career — the toll his on-screen image took on his family, especially his father.
“In the beginning, I was getting roles where I was always being beaten,” he shared. “In Sarfarosh, my first film, I was beaten. Then in Munna Bhai MBBS, the same thing happened. Sometimes I played a thief, sometimes a pickpocket. When people from my village watched these films, they’d tell my father, ‘Your son always gets beaten up on screen.’ Every year it was the same, and my father was very tense about it. We’re from Western UP, where everyone thinks highly of themselves.”
One day, the constant chatter became too much. Nawazuddin recalled a difficult conversation with his father, “He asked me, ‘Why do you do these films if you just get beaten up?’ I told him, ‘Because I don’t get anything else — I’m trying.’ And then he said, ‘Then stop coming here after getting beaten up.’ I was very upset hearing that and didn’t return home for three years.”
“When I Did Gangs of Wasseypur, My Father Finally Said, ‘This Time You Did a Good Job’”
Fate changed course when Anurag Kashyap cast him in Gangs of Wasseypur. His explosive performance as Faizal Khan — a character who commanded fear instead of defeat — transformed his career and perception overnight.
“After Wasseypur, I went back home and asked my father, ‘So, what do you think now?’ He said, ‘Yes, this time you did a good job.’ That meant everything to me,” he recalled with a smile.
“My Mother Was So Happy Seeing Me Sitting on Money in Kick”
While his father’s pride came later, Nawazuddin revealed that his mother has always been deeply supportive — even in her own humorous way.
“There was a scene in Kick where I was sitting on piles of money,” he said. “After watching it, my mother said, ‘The best part was when you were sitting on all those notes — it really pleased me.’ I asked her why, and she said, ‘Because you were sitting on so much money.’”
Nawazuddin was last seen in Thamma, and continues to remain one of India’s most versatile actors — a self-made performer whose story reminds us that every struggle, no matter how painful, can one day turn into pride.
