Nawazuddin Siddiqui has consistently entertained audiences with his distinct and unconventional roles in the film industry. His recent outings, including ‘Thamma’ and the web series ‘Raat Akeli Hai – The Bansal Murders’, are no exception. Having come a long way in the world of cinema, the actor remains grateful for the opportunities he has received over the years. In a past interview with ETimes, Nawazuddin opened up about his views on films, fellow actors, the portrayal of Bollywood in a negative light and many more.
Nawazuddin Siddiqui says Dada Kondke can’t fake acting and his films were ahead of time
During the conversation, he also spoke about his deep admiration for legendary Marathi actor Dada Kondke, whom he idolised. In fact, the first film Nawazuddin watched in a theatre starred Kondke. He shared, “The first movie I had watched in the theatre was of Dada Kondke. I am one of the biggest fans of Dada Kondke. He did unconventional acting. There was nothing fake in his acting; it was all original. He portrayed hardcore reality through his performances, and his films were ahead of their time. Frankly speaking, my first, second, and third films in theatres were of Dada Kondke. I truly respect him. Watching his character in ‘Thackeray’ felt like experiencing someone I had admired all my life.”
Nawazuddin Siddiqui picks Aamir Khan as his favourite actor
He further added that while Kondke remains a major inspiration, he also admires other actors. Speaking about his favourites, Nawazuddin said, “My favourite actor is Naseeruddin Shah, actually. But I also like Aamir Khan because he experiments with all his films, which is a good practice. His films are not like typical Bollywood formula films; he takes them to another level while still giving them a commercial touch. So, Dada Kondke, Naseer Saab, and Aamir Khan are my favourite actors.”Talking about Aamir Khan, Nawazuddin also recalled an interesting moment from his early career. He revealed that he had a negligible role in ‘Sarfarosh’ and had no interaction with Aamir at the time. However, years later, during ‘Peepli Live’, he met Aamir again. “During ‘Sarfarosh’, I had no interaction with Aamir. After that and before ‘Talaash’, I met him on the sets of ‘Peepli Live’. I told him that we had met earlier and that I had done a small role in ‘Sarfarosh’. He was very happy to know this—he even stopped the shoot and told everyone about our scene. That’s when he realised that the person he had beaten in ‘Sarfarosh’ was actually me. The entire atmosphere turned nostalgic, and it was wonderful associating with him,” he shared.
