Nawazuddin Siddiqui is one of the finest actors of Bollywood today. Boasting an enviable filmography, the actor has also ventured into producing films. However, what remains out of public knowledge is that he also trained several budding talents. One of them is Ranveer Singh. The actor who made his debut with ‘Band Baaja Baaraat’ is one of the leading names of the film industry today.

Speaking with Pinkvilla, Nawazuddin Siddiqui reflected on his journey, revealing that he had trained several aspiring talents. However, the ‘Gangs of Wasseypur’ actor does not like to take credit for it. “I trained Ranveer for a while for his role in Band Baaja Baarat. And in one sense, I had become the ‘workshop guy’. I used to say that whoever wants to be an actor and get launched, I am there for you. Even though he was in the workshop, I don’t believe you actually teach acting; he had his own capabilities. All I did was show him several ways to use that skill, but at the end of the day, the person has to do it themselves.”

Advertisement

Talking of films with a distinct and new touch, he noted that they are always brought to life by theatre artists. “Places like NSD have a huge part to play in whatever our industry is today, and all realistic movies have actors who have come from these institutions.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Ranveer Singh (@ranveersingh)

While Ranveer Singh became a household name straight with his debut, filmmaker Karan Johar was unhappy with Aditya Chopra casting Ranveer. Speaking on his show, ‘Koffee with Karan,’ the filmmaker revealed that he thought Ranveer was an AD for the film. “I was meeting Yash uncle (Yash Chopra) for lunch. So, some assistant directors were playing table tennis. Aditya Chopra pointed out that one of those boys is not AD; he is the boy who is starring in Band Baaja Baaraat. I said, ‘Who?’”

Karan added, “I saw the poster of the film, and I told them that they have to change this poster. I was like, ‘I have no hope. I’m not going to go and see this film because Aditya never calls me for any previews anymore. I went to see this film, and I was like, ‘Oh my god. He’s a movie star.’”

Also Read: Deepika Padukone on pregnancy complications, her daughter, and a director’s jibe

Ranveer last appeared in Rohit Shetty’s ensemble film, ‘Singham Again.’ Moving ahead, he is stepping into SRK’s shoes and taking over the baton for ‘Don 3.’ On the other hand, Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s latest stint, ‘Costao,’ is currently streaming on Zee5.