Nawazuddin Siddiqui on downsides of candour, significance of the female gaze and why he is afraid of reviews
Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; September 17, 2018) 

Tell us something about Saadat Hasan Manto, the acclaimed writer-playwright, that even you weren’t familiar with till you played him on screen?
Well, I’d read his stories, so when I bumped into Nandita (Das, director) at the Cannes Film Festival in 2013 and she told me she was planning a biopic on Manto, I agreed to be a part of it. Four years later, after completing her research, she returned to introduce me to the man, his world and his thoughts. I had no idea till then that Manto had been an alcoholic and was so prolific he could write a story while being jostled in a crowd. I also didn’t know about the obscenity cases against him or that he was quite the family man.

Do you see glimpses of Nawaz in him?
Yes, there are times when I’m so immersed in a role, I cease to be a part of the real world. Physically I’m there, but mentally I’ve zoned out. At such times if my wife and children want my time, I’m lost to them aur tab thodi bahut kaha-suni ho jati hai (Smiles wryly).

Manto spoke the truth fearlessly and often brutally, and that got him into trouble. You used to be pretty outspoken yourself once...
(Laughs) If you read the interviews I gave in 2012, you will see that I said what I thought. But then I began to realise that mere sach bolne se problem ho rahi hai so I began manipulating the truth. I’d say what was permissible, what people wanted to hear, till I entered the Manto zone.

Then, for about two-three months, I was back to speaking the truth without embellishments. But society can be very judgmental, people started saying, he’s done all this, he must be a really dirty guy, kitna kharab insaan hai. It didn’t matter that I had admitted to certain shortcomings myself. I wasn’t appreciated for my honesty. Instead, my confessions went against me. So, I figured there was no point in spoiling my public image when I was getting work — mujhe jhooth bolna chahiye.

Don’t the lies make you feel guilty?
Bilkul, I feel terribly guilty. When I am alone, I reprimand myself for all the lies I’ve told so that logon ke samne meri achchi image bani rahe. What to do, zamana yehi sunna chahta hai.

Has working with women directors like Nandita and Tannishtha Chatterjee (Roam Rome Mein) changed your perspective?
Debamitra Hassan, the director of another upcoming film, Motichoor Chaknachoor, is a lady too. And yes, working back-to-back with women directors has changed my perspective on the world, improved me not just as an actor but a human being too.

In what way?
Well, creatively, both men and women are equal, but the male gaze is very different from the female gaze. And I’ve come to realise that it’s because of men that duniya mein aaj itna hungama hai, so much of violence. It’s time we put power in the hands of women; the world will become a better place.

At home, do you surrender to your wife’s decisions?
Hamesha se, I tell her that if she feels it’s the correct decision, make it. After working with women, mera nazariya badal gaya hai. I’ve come to believe that today our hope lies in women.

From Manto to Thackarey, how different is Sanjay Raut’s biopic?
Very different in that few have seen Manto or heard him. We know him only through his writings so while playing him, I could interpret him my way. But people have watched Balasaheb deliver his speeches live, there are thousands of videos of him on YouTube, so I have to concentrate on minute details, from the way he moved his fingers to the way he sat, since in this case, getting the body language right is important to make the performance authentic. Also, since Thackeray is a Hindi-Marathi bilingual, I’ve hired a tutor to get my Marathi diction right. It’s my most difficult role so far.

And what’s it like sharing the screen with ‘Thalaiva’ Rajinikanth in your first Tamil film, Petta?
What a stylish actor, what a superstar he is! I used to copy his mannerisms, from the way he swings his sunglasses to the way he caught a lit cigarette. And then I met him and was shocked by his simplicity. Being around him is a lesson in itself and since I’m a lot like him, we got along well.

On the other side of the world, what was it like working with the popular Italian actress, Valentina Corti, in Roam Rome Mein?
Not just Valentina, all the other actors, from Francesco Apolloni and Andrea Scarduzio to Urbano Barberini, are equally brilliant, so well trained and well-rehearsed when they arrive for the shoot. Mazaa aa gaya.

Were you recognised in Rome?
(Smiles) Well, Sacred Games had just started airing, after about eight days people started watching the show and then I could see a flicker of recognition on their faces.

Going by your choice of films lately, you seem to be deliberately steering clear of big-budget, starry commercial projects...
No, it’s not deliberate, I’m getting to pick and choose my films now and want to explore new terrain, take on roles that demand me to internalise more. The Rajinikanth film is an out-and-out mainstream entertainer and Motichoor Chaknachoor too is a sweet, commercial romcom. When I was doing theatre, I worked in around 50-200 comedies. Films have given me this serious, intense image so doing lighter roles is a welcome change.

Finally, any last-minute jitters as you prepare to resurrect Manto on screen?
Reviews se bahut dar lagta hai. I was very nervous when I went with it to Cannes and it was unexpected but encouraging when reviews in publications like The Hollywood Reporter analysed the film and my performance in great detail. Here, we are more focused on entertainment. We want films to make us laugh and cry while they are looking for films that make them think. Here everyone is a critic. A film and all the hard work we put in it, is dismissed with two stars. Isi liye to dar lagta hai (Smiles wryly again).