Renuka Vyavahare (BOMBAY TIMES; November 27, 2019)

One of Bollywood’s finest actors, Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s work has been getting global acclaim for a while now. In fact, he was felicitated at various international film festivals recently. In a chat with BT from New York, Nawaz spoke about crossing borders, overcoming language barriers and what he thinks he needs to work on at this stage of his career. Read on...

You were conferred the prestigious Lesley Ho Asian Film Talent Award at the Singapore International Film Festival recently, for your contribution to International cinema (for International Emmy-nominated original series Sacred Games).You were also honoured with the Golden Dragon Award at the Cardiff International Film Festival for excellence in cinema in the international market. And your British show McMafia won the Best Drama Series at International Emmys. Are you now aware of how popular your work is globally?
People abroad have seen my films, but the mass connect and reach of Sacred Games was perhaps higher. Unko Ganesh Gaitonde ka kirdar mazedaar laga. Initially, I wasn’t aware of the reach it had globally. Dheere dheere mujhe pata chala that people have seen it across the world and they have liked my character. Even Paulo Coelho wrote to me about it. Being appreciated by him was most special to me. I admire his writing a lot. I remember when we shot the show’s second season in Nairobi, there was a lot of frenzy around it. Even when I shot for Roam Rome Mein in Italy, people would come to me and talk about that show. It feels good to know that people from other countries are also appreciating my work. Sacred Games was nominated and my British gangster series McMafia won the Best Drama Series at International Emmys. This feels great.

What is it about your characters that you think appeals to the global audience and filmmakers?
Many people, and a lot of young filmmakers, want to see experimental cinema. All good films may not work at the box office, but they give you worldwide recognition. A well-made film never dies, and good work never goes unnoticed. Kabhi Kabhi toh lagta hai ki apun hi Bhagwan hai — people make me say this dialogue (from Sacred Games) a lot, so much that I am bored of it now. Jo bolne mein mazaa nahi aaya, wohi popular ho jaata hain. Maine woh dialogue bola bhi kharab tha. I could have said it better, with more thehrav, but people loved it. On the contrary, I loved my dialogues and the writing in Manto, but shaayad logon ne woh samjha hi nahi, ya phir difficult dialogue logon se boley nahi jaate. It is possible that those Urdu lines weren’t easy to emulate, and so, didn’t get as popular. But all of us still remember Dilip Kumar saab’s lines from Mughal-E-Azam. There was a lot of Urdu in that, too, so you can’t predict what people will or won’t like.

Cinema has no boundaries or language barriers per se, but it is always challenging for an actor to get the language or accent right when he/she does foreign language shows or films, isn’t it?
My upcoming international film, No Land’s Man is in English. Roam Rome Mein was predominantly an English film, too. English mein acting karna aasan hai. Om Puri wasn’t very fluent in English either. He was a hardcore Punjabi, but he has perhaps done maximum international films and his work was appreciated because he was a good actor. For one, the problem occurs when you try and copy their accent.

You recently said, ‘I only take criticism from people of my standard.’ It’s too strong a statement to make...
Aaj kal social media par har koi critic ban jaata hai. Let the film critics do their job. You need a certain understanding of cinema to be able to analyse a film, and that comes with certain years of experience and knowledge of cinema. I am always open to criticism, but you need to earn that right. Anyone can’t pass an opinion as a review and say, ‘I give this film 2 stars.’ It reminds me of my Sacred Games dialogue, ‘Har koi Bhagwaan banke baitha hai’ (laughs!).

Makers and cast of Sacred Games and Lust Stories

From cheering for Nawazuddin Siddiqui to playing dress-up, Kubbra Sait on how Emmys was a night to remember for Sacred Games and Lust Stories team.
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; November 27, 2019)

"Realistically, I was hoping for a win. It's gutting that we didn't," says Kubbra Sait, when we connect with her a day after the International Emmy Awards 2019. The Indian contingent went into the night with several nominations — Sacred Games vied for the Best Drama nod, Lust Stories was nominated in the TV Movie/ Mini Series category, and Radhika Apte, in the Best Actress category. The golden statuette may have eluded them, but Sait — who played the memorable character Cuckoo in Sacred Games — says it was a night to remember.

"As Team India, we wanted to have fun regardless of the verdict. It would have been great had we won, but we didn't miss out on the fun either way. After the show, we all hit the bar, had a few drinks and surprisingly, retired early," laughs Sait, who was joined by the show's directors Anurag Kashyap and Vikramaditya Motwane, actors Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Radhika Apte at the event. The creative minds of Lust Stories — Karan Johar, Zoya Akhtar, Dibakar Banerjee, Ronnie Screwvala and Ashi Dua — too made their presence felt. "We dressed to the nines and laughed all night."

It was a big moment for Siddiqui as his McMafia edged past India's prestige drama to bag the Best Drama award. "When McMafia won, we all cheered for Nawaz. We were so happy for each other. It's the spirit of being there that mattered," she says, adding that seeing MJ Rodriguez and Christiane Amanpour in the flesh was the high point of the evening for her.

Deepali Singh (DNA; July 2, 2018)

Nawazuddin Siddiqui plays ruthless characters on screen with so much conviction that one might think that’s how he is in real life as well. But when he greets us with a polite ‘Kaisi hain aap?’ and a gentle handshake as we meet him at a suburban hotel for a chat, we see him in a new light.

The award-winning actor will be seen as the antagonist in Sacred Games, which is based on Vikram Chandra’s epic novel by the same name. The first Indian Original series that will be streamed on Netflix this week also stars Saif Ali Khan and Radhika Apte. While the powerhouse performer had not read the book earlier, he made it a point to familiarise himself with it during the two-and-a-half-month shoot.

“Vikramaditya Motwane and Anurag Kashyap, who are the directors, had narrated the script to me earlier. They had told me how they wanted to create the character and take it ahead. During the shoot, I used to make someone sit and read out the novel to me,” he says. In a tête-à-tête with After Hrs, Nawaz reveals how he approached this unconventional character and why grey roles appeal to him. Excerpts…

You’ve played the role of a gangster in quite a few films. How did you ensure that you portray Ganesh Gaitonde differently?
See, if you want to categorise him, then he’s a gangster. But I don’t think of such tags. He comes to Mumbai from a small village in Konkan with big dreams. Maybe his path is not right because his surroundings have been like that. He manages to escape unhurt from a lot of things, so he starts believing that he’s invincible. That’s how I have approached the role. I didn’t play him with a certain attitude just because he’s a gangster. That’s how I approach every character.

Do you find the digital space exciting? Would you be willing to experiment more on this platform?
I’m quite excited about it. It’s a dream for any actor to showcase his work and sensibilities to a wider audience. It’s through the digital platform that we can show the entire world ki hum bhi hain. We have shot and treated the series with the same discipline and hard work as we would for a film.

You recently appeared in the BBC crime drama McMafia, helmed by James Watkins. How was that experience?
James had seen my work in Miss Lovely (2012) and The Lunchbox (2013). The show was shot mainly in Croatia. The experience was good. James has also directed a couple of episodes of Black Mirror. He is a fabulous director who manages to convey subtle nuances.

On one hand, you play fictional characters like Ganesh Gaitonde; while on the other, you’re doing biopics on real people like Saadat Hasan Manto and Bal Thackeray. What is more challenging for you?
I don’t have such fixed notions. I feel that as an actor, I should expand my horizons as much as possible. If I don’t, I will get limited, just the way heroes become. They keep playing hero till they are 60. I don’t want that. There is just one life to live. Jitna kar sakte ho, utna karo.

Manto and Thackeray were people with different ideologies. How do you play such characters?
That’s the fun of it, to play such different people. The amount of trust and hard work I have put in Manto, I have put in for Thackeray as well.

You have played a handful of positive roles in your career. What is the appeal that dark/grey characters have for you?
Black or white characters have no shades. It’s the grey characters who are colourful. White characters — the heroes — have nothing to do. They just keep standing like sticks, while the others around them adorn the film. There is no mazaa in that. Hollywood actors Robert De Niro and Al Pacino have mainly played characters with grey shades. That’s where you get to see what the actor is all about. Even I am selfish. I prefer grey characters because there is more scope in them.

Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; January 12, 2018)

That international filmmakers look beyond the crème-de-la-crème of Bollywood to spot for talent was made evident when James Watkins roped in the acclaimed Nawazuddin Siddiqui for his Brit drama, McMafia. A week after the eight-part series, based on journalist Misha Glenny’s bestselling novel by the same name, went on air, Watkins reflects on his decision to rope in the actor to play a corrupt Mumbai importer.

“I have wanted to work with Nawazuddin Siddiqui since I first saw his transformative talents shine in films like Gangs Of Wasseypur (2012) and Miss Lovely (2014). He is not only a mesmerising star with a sizzling on-screen presence, but also among the greatest actors in the world. And, I don’t say that casually,” says Watkins, who filmed with the actor almost a year ago.

Further heaping praise on Siddiqui, Watkins points to his ability to “become” the character. “He seems to breathe the role rather than act it. Such roles cease to be parts; they become people. They come alive. He is the master of micro detail, with a peerless ability to convey through his eyes. His commitment to exploring the truth of his characters, however draining or tiring it may be, is unwavering.”

Co-created by Iranian screenwriter Hossein Amini, the show also stars Brit actor James Norton. Siddiqui filmed for nine days in the city, before moving to Croatia with the crew for another five-day stint.

Watkins recalls how, during his time in Mumbai, an exhausted Siddiqui, weary from a long day of work on another project, would turn up at the recording studio to read his lines. “He would still give a 100 per cent, exploring the character with me. I hope I get the opportunity to work with him again. It gives me pleasure to introduce him to new audiences, who, I know, will fall under his spell."

Nawazuddin Siddiqui on his debut international series filmed by 'Black Mirror' director, penned by Ryan Gosling's 'Drive' writer
Sonil Dedhia (MID-DAY; January 16, 2017)

Nawazuddin Siddiqui garnered much attention when he took to Twitter late in December to describe his experience of shooting an international TV show with English film director James Watkins. "It was an overwhelming experience", he had written. When hitlist got in touch with the actor to learn more about his small-screen debut in the UK, he gushes, "It's a lavish series and is titled 'McMafia'." But, that's all that he is allowed to reveal at this point.

The 'Haraamkhor' actor proudly goes on to list names of the big shots associated with the BBC project: "James Watkins, who has previously worked on a few episodes of 'Black Mirror', has directed it. The series is written by Oscar nominated Hossein Amini, the man behind the screenplay of Ryan Gosling's Drive," says Nawaz, who recently finished shooting for the first schedule and will kick off the second one in Croatia soon.

The eight-episode international crime drama, which is inspired from Misha Glenny's 2008 best-selling book by the same name, features James Norton (Happy Valley) in the lead. Talking about his experience of working with the team, he adds, "It was amazing to work which such renowned people. You learn something new and add to your skills by merely watching them work."

Like Priyanka Chopra, who had resolved that her Hollywood debut project would be at par with the roles she takes up in her home turf, Nawaz, too, says he wouldn't give his nod to an international project if he was restricted to a cameo. "Unlike our Indian actors, who get ready to do anything just to be a part of Hollywood, I would only like to do impactful roles," he signs off.