Actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui has blamed Bollywood’s star culture for audiences’ declining interest in watching films in theatres. “There are two kinds of actors — industry actors and public actors. Industry actors ko public itna nahin chahti, but unki films aapke ghar ke darwaaze mein lagi hoti hai. Aapko majboori mein dekhna padta hai,” says Nawazuddin, whose film Costao premiered on OTT recently.

He adds, “People want to see public actors on screen. Be it Om (Puri) sahab, Irrfan bhai, Manoj Bajpayee ya Naseeruddin Shah, inko duniya dekhna chahti hain, par inki films itne bade scale mein release nahin hoti.”

The 50-year-old also points out the difference between Bollywood and the South film industries: “In the South industry, the films that make Rs. 500 crore or Rs. 1,000 crore at the box office features actors. In Bollywood, jinko lekar Rs. 100 crore, Rs. 200 crore ki movies banayi jaati hain, woh South ke talent se kahin match hi nahin karti. Unko mor (peacock) ki tarah sajaaya jaata hai gaanon, choreography aur action ke saath, uske baad bhi [hit ki] guarantee nahin hain.”

On being part of Gangs Of Wasseypur 3: “Film banegi hi nahin. Woh director (Anurag Kashyap) hi nahin chahta. The good thing about him is that he’s not stuck in nostalgia.”

Has he been approached for Bajrangi Bhaijaan 2? “I don’t have any information on a sequel being made. It depends on them (the makers). I cannot be ‘Main first mein tha toh mujhe bhi lo’. It doesn’t work like that. Agar unki zaroorat hogi, toh hum haazir ho jayenge.”

When asked if his 14-year-old daughter Shora Siddiqui wants to enter the film industry, Nawazuddin says, “Abhi toh nahin, she is completing her studies now. But she is interested in acting.” So, how does he plan to support her? “Usko training aur workshop karwaunga,” he shares.