Subhash K Jha (DNA; January 23, 2015)


Nawazuddin Siddiqui, who has lately become an actor to reckon with, is now on a firangi hangover. Last week the papers were flooded with Nawaz’s PR overdrive claiming that he was being ‘paired opposite’ Nicole Kidman in Garth Davis’ Lion.

Some probing reveals a few very embarrassing facts about this sensational spot of casting (Kidman and Nawaz together do look like an unlikely jodi).

An insider reveals, “I don’t know why Nawaz created the impression that he’s paired opposite Nicole Kidman. Nawaz doesn’t have one shot with her. He is in the film for sure. But features in one episode, Nicole in another. They don’t come face-to-face in the film.”

Shedding further light on the project which begins shooting in Kolkata next week, the source reveals, “Lion is a true-life story based on Saroo Brierley’s autobiographical account of his search for his family. Saroo is played by Dev Patel throughout. The other actors including Nawazuddin, Tannishtha Chatterjee and Nicole Kidman play characters who meet Dev on his journey.”