The actor talks about his impending visit to the French Riviera with Nandita Das’ biography of Sadat Hassan Manto
Rachana Dubey (BOMBAY TIMES; April 16, 2018)

He was in the midst of shooting Balasaheb Thackeray’s biopic in Mumbai when Nawazuddin Siddiqui received news that his film, Manto, a biopic on writer Saadat Hasan Manto, is headed to the Cannes International Film Festival’s Un Certain Regard section. The actor will be at the French Riviera on May 9 and 10. It’s his fifth visit to the festival since his first outing in 2012 with Anurag Kashyap’s Gangs Of Wasseypur.

“Going to Cannes feels like I am going home,” says Nawazuddin, adding, “The festival has become my second home now. The best part is that I get to represent my film at one of the biggest festivals in the world. I’ve been to Cannes almost every year since 2012; it just reinstates my faith in the choices that I’m making as an artiste. I haven’t become corrupt as an actor.”

Nawazuddin admits that he doesn’t have much time to spend at the festival this year since he’s shooting the biopic of one of Mumbai’s most prominent political figures in which he plays the central character. “The film is already on floors, so I have limited time on hand this year. I won’t be able to hobnob much, but I’m looking forward to the screening of Manto for the international patrons. Uske baad India mein kaise aur kab release hoti hai woh producer ka masla hai. I’ll walk the red carpet in a tuxedo. Do-teen din baad, India aa jaaonga aur apni aukaat pe utar aaonga. I’m an actor and I’m best before the camera. Apna toh kaam hi yahi hai.”

When asked about what he plans to wear at this year’s red carpet, Nawaz laughs and says, “What can you do with a black tuxedo? They have a dress code. Uss mein kuchh laal peela nahi kar sakte.” The actor remembers his first visit to the festival. He says, “It all felt like a 70mm movie where everything looked perfect and everyone was only breathing cinema. I was spellbound at that time. I couldn’t believe aisa bhi kahin hota hai duniya mein where people only have exchanges on cinema. It was amazing to be in a room with so many wonderful, well-known and talented people. Today, that place and those people feel familiar and no one judges you for what you’re wearing or doing,” says Nawaz, who admits that the experience back home has not been too memorable.

Talking about the relevance of his film, Manto, directed by actor-filmmaker Nandita Das, the actor says that telling this story is the need of the hour. As an avid reader of Saadat Hassan Manto’s works, Nawaz believes, “Manto underlined the truths of our society through his writings. Anyone who believes in doing that will find him fascinating. It’s difficult for a society to look into a mirror but Manto forced it to look into one. Unki kahaniyaan apne girebaan mein jhaankne par majboor kar deti hain. Manto had exposed society’s hypocrisy through his writings. Hunger and sex are the needs of every human being, but do we accept that openly? People pretended to be something they are not and that happens even now. Look at social media; everyone wants to prove they are right and no one wants to listen. There’s a reason that no one back then wanted to openly read Manto’s content. People had a problem because his writing made them uncomfortable. I’m sure the film will get a lot of love at Cannes.”

When asked if we’re still hypocritical as a society, Nawaz agrees, “Hypocrisy is everywhere, but people are working towards changing that. Women want equality and they are striving for it. Women and their opinions are taken more seriously today and they are not seen as one-dimensional beings. For instance, at one point an actress was only needed to complete a love story. Today, she has a bigger role to play in a film.”

Off late, he has been in the news for playing real-life characters like Manto and Balasaheb Thackeray. He feels his perception as an artiste allows him to seamlessly fit into such complex characters.

“As an actor, your personality has to be like water, so you can blend into everything. I don’t have an identity and I don’t want one. It’s a big deal because then you can adapt your mind to anyone’s thoughts and play them well,” says Nawaz.