Sonil Dedhia (MID-DAY; July 10, 2017)

Nawazuddin Siddiqui, who is currently winning praise for his performance in Mom, has seen a meteoric rise in the last few years. But his rise to success hasn't been without its share of controversies. The actor has had run-ins with the law on two occasions over the past year-and-a-half.

Reflecting on these two incidents, the actor says that he is paying the price for stardom. He tells mid-day, "Once you become successful, people try to attach their names with you and create controversies to gain their 15 minutes of fame. That's what happened with me too. I was dragged into these cases for no fault of mine. I look back and feel sad for the people who did this."

However, Siddiqui confesses that he doesn't come out unscathed from such controversies. "I'm not a robot. When people try to drag my name into something that I haven't done, I do get traumatized. But, in the end, I'm aware that I'm not in the wrong and that's why I am not left with a feeling of guilt."

On the work front, Nawazuddin Siddiqui has had a good year so far – the actor has been appreciated for his nuanced performances in Haramkhor, Raees and Mom. Next up, he will be juggling a masala film like Munna Michael with the cerebral Manto.

Talking about his versatile act, he says, "I always try and find roles that will allow me to show my acting abilities. I make a conscious effort to not repeat myself as I'm scared of getting stereotyped. Thankfully, I've been offered varied characters so far."

Nawaz's case files
> In January 2016, Nawazuddin Siddiqui was charged under section 354 of the IPC for allegedly assaulting a woman over parking space at his residential society.

> In October 2016, the wife of Nawazuddin Siddiqui's younger brother filed a police complaint against the actor and his parents, accusing them of torture and harassment. She also accused Siddiqui of kicking her in the stomach when she was three months pregnant.