Nawazuddin urges Bollywood to prioritize substance over star power
Nawazuddin Siddiqui advocates for a change in Bollywood, emphasizing meaningful roles over star status and genuine dialogue over dramatic lines.
Bollywood actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui will come out with a memoir this October, which will be a story of his struggle, of hope, of relentless persistence and the desire to dream.
An Ordinary Life: A Memoir, published by Penguin India, will be co-authored by journalist Rituparna Chatterjee.
“We always have a choice,” said Nawazuddin.
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As a young man from small-town Budhana in Uttar Pradesh’s Muzaffarnagar, he moved to Delhi to try his luck at theatre.
And the rest is history.
A versatile performer with a strong grounding in theatre, he surprises audiences with every role he plays – from Officer Khan in Kahaani, Faizal Khan in Gangs of Wasseypur and Shaikh in The Lunchbox to Liak in Badlapur, Chand Nawab in Bajrangi Bhaijaan and Dasrath Manjhi in Manjhi, the publishers said.
“However, the journey to fame and fortune was far from easy for the actor who went from being a manager at a petrochemical factory in Haridwar to a watchman in Delhi. This memoir is a celebration of his life,” Penguin India said.
Talking about the memoir, the actor said they have been working on the book for almost two years.
“It traces my life from the time I resided in a village, to becoming an actor. We began writing this a while ago and will launch it in two months. No one knows about my childhood and what it takes for a farmer’s child, who lived in a joint family, to enter this field and make a name.
“Achieving this life could have only been a distant dream. The contribution of my parents and my village in helping me become what I am today has been immense, and makes for a major chunk of the book. Also, my theatre days have been beautifully chronicled. I think there’s a lot of masala in there for people to read,” he said.
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