Nawazuddin Siddiqui is widely regarded as one of the finest actors in Indian cinema. He has often been compared to late legendary actor Irrfan — a parallel many see as a compliment. But Nawazuddin has his
perspective on such comparisons. He also said that the film industry doesn’t need any validation from the West, asserting that “good films and bad films” are being made in both Bollywood and Hollywood.
Recently, Nawazuddin Siddiqui defended the Indian film industry, noting the great actors the country has seen; namely Naseeruddin Shah, Manoj Bajpayee, Irrfan, and others. “We shouldn’t need validation from the West. There are many good films made here and many good films made there, and many bad films made here and many bad films made there — this is a fact. And we have such great actors. There are so many great actors whose names you have mentioned like Naseer saab, Manoj bhai, Om Puri saab, Irrfan bhai,” he said.
Nawazuddin Siddiqui plays a struggling actor in his next
Nawazuddin Siddiqui will be next seen in Aditya Kripalani’s upcoming film, Main Actor Nahi Hoon. Nawaz takes on the role of a struggling actor in Germany who, through FaceTime, becomes an acting coach to a woman in Mumbai. The project’s unique premise involved shooting in real time across two cities, a challenge Siddiqui embraced wholeheartedly.
Speaking to The Indian Express about playing a struggling actor, the actor admitted the role felt instinctively familiar. “It’s very easy because that phase was very long. I was a struggling actor for 12–15 years. I’m still struggling, though in different ways. But yes, when you have first-hand experience, it becomes quite easy to play a character,” he said.
Drawing from his own journey, Siddiqui highlighted how lived experience can enrich an actor’s performance — especially when portraying characters who walk a path one has personally known. He himself admitted, “The cold affected my performance. I struggled to pronounce English words like ‘process’ due to the freezing temperatures. Delivering chunky Shakespearean dialogues in English was tough, despite my experience with Hindi Shakespeare plays. The cold made it hard to get the words out right.”
On the work front, Nawazuddin Siddiqui will next be seen in Raat Akeli Hai 2 and Thama.
