Nawazuddin Siddiqui has never wanted to be a Bollywood hero.
The 42-year-old actor started his career with minor roles in films such as Sarfarosh and Munna Bhai MBBS. He went on to gain fame after starring in films such as Black Friday, Kahaani and Gangs of Wasseypur.
Siddiqui believes all his hard work is finally paying off. “Everybody has to go through ups and downs, that’s part and parcel of life. I’ve also seen a lot of ups and downs in my life but I’m more than happy that now I’m getting the opportunities to play my choice of roles.
“I’d never desired for typical hero roles in Bollywood. I only wanted to make my identity as an actor here. Thanks to our industry, which is now actually writing roles for an artist like me. Even commercial films have roles for an actor like me, so I couldn’t ask for more,” Siddiqui said.
Siddiqui’s seen both sides of the industry. His films Kick, Badlapur and Bajrangi Bhaijaan were box-office hits, while Raman Raghav 2.0, Te3n and Freaky Ali did not impress.
When asked how he copes with failure, he said, “I don’t believe in it and I’m not even in this race. My job is to focus on good acting and always make sure that I’m doing my best.
“People like my film or dislike it is not in my hand. I can only try to do good work. And also, most of my life I think I’ve been a failure so it doesn’t affect me much. I’ve struggled for more than 10-12 years...and I’ve made this special kind of bond with failure. So, if I have to ever face it again, for me, it will be my friend.”
The actor has worked with many big names in the Indian film industry including Amitabh Bachchan, Aamir Khan, Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan. And now he’s thinking of a Hollywood stint. “I will do Hollywood films in the coming years. I’m in talks with many people. I’m going to do a Hollywood series as well.”
Siddiqui says unlike other Indian actors who have done few cameos in projects outside of India just to get a Hollywood tag, he would like to focus on doing lead roles.
“My plan mainly is to do lead roles there. Unlike our Indian actors, who get ready to do anything just to be a part of Hollywood, I would only like to go for impactful roles.”
