Showing posts with label Nawazuddin Siddiqui farming. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Nawazuddin Siddiqui farming. Show all posts
Farming is a habit and a part of my DNA now-Nawazuddin Siddiqui
8:23 AM
Prashant Singh (HINDUSTAN TIMES; June 26, 2020)
He travelled to his home-town, Budhana (Uttar Pradesh) last month, amid Coronavirus lockdown. And since then, actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui has kept himself busy, not with anything to do with acting but what, he says, comes “naturally” to him — farming.
On his social media accounts, the actor shared a video titled ‘Done for the day’, in which he can be seen washing his hands at the end of a session, at his farm. Later, Siddiqui — who clearly seems to be soaked in sweat and mud — can be seen picking up the spade and walking off.
Ask him if ‘enjoys’ farming, and he says: “It’s not about ‘feeling good’ or ‘enjoyment’ because this is a habit and a part of my DNA now. My forefathers were into farming and even I did the same initially — for close to 25 years of my life. When I moved to Mumbai, it came to a halt, but whenever I have gone back to my village, I have always indulged in farming. Honestly, it gives me a lot of peace of mind, and plus, it all also comes naturally.”
That’s why Siddiqui doesn’t even believe that farming is something that ‘keeps me grounded’. “The reality is that this is me, and that’s what I am. So, there’s no question of it keeping me rooted or grounded. When I am in Mumbai and doing films/shows, that’s an absolutely different aspect of my life which is also something that I enjoy a lot,” says the actor, adding, “Gaon mein hamaari extended family ke kaafi pushtaani khet hain abhi bhi.”
Ask Siddiqui what he is helping grow right now, and he says: “In the video, I was making arrangements to water the jowar crop. Itni garmi mein jowar bahut acche se grow karta hai,” says the actor, who has also been taking out time to dub for Sudhir Mishra’s OTT project, Serious Men (an adaptation of Manu Joseph’s book of the same name) at home.
As for farming, Siddiqui feels that his stint with it has also helped him professionally. “Once I am done with my work in mentally-challenging films such as Raman Raghav 2.0 (2016), I love to come back to my village, do some farming, clear my mind and go back to Mumbai, to start my next film, on a clean slate,” he concludes.
Nawazuddin Siddiqui to buy a plot in Kasara to pursue farming
8:04 AM
Given his background in agriculture, Nawazuddin Siddiqui also intends to educate farmers about the new techniques available in the field
Sonil Dedhia (MID-DAY; August 5, 2018)
When he is not slipping into varied roles effortlessly, Nawazuddin Siddiqui enjoys going back to his hometown, Budhana, Uttar Pradesh, and indulging in farming. The actor had earlier told mid-day, "I have been a farmer all my life, and this is something that I love doing. I try to come here whenever possible as it relaxes me." Now, it has been learnt that he is in the process of buying a plot in Kasara in Maharashtra to pursue the hobby.
Confirming the news, Nawazuddin's brother Shamas Siddiqui says, "Of late, it has become difficult for Nawaz bhai to travel all the way to our village, owing to his hectic schedule. So, last month, he decided to buy a plot close to Mumbai. That way, when he is not shooting, he can drive down to Kasara and spend some time at our farms."
Shamas adds that they had been scouting for agricultural land over the past few months. "We have finalised a few plots that are close to the river, and will seal the deal by this week. If everything goes as per plan, we should start farming by next month."
Given his background in agriculture, Nawazuddin also intends to educate farmers about the new techniques available in the field. His brother explains, "Last year, we had implemented new irrigation techniques in Budhana, which helped the farmers there tremendously. Similarly, Nawaz bhai and I want to create awareness here too. Once people will see him implementing new techniques, it will create curiosity, and in the process, we will be able to help them in developing their output."
I still wake up at 4 am when I'm in my village and sprinkle water in the fields-Nawazuddin Siddiqui
7:39 AM
As told to Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; August 14, 2017)
I come from Budhana, a small
town in the Muzaffarnagar district of Uttar Pradesh. My grandfather was
a farmer, so was my father. I started going to the fields at the age
of 10 and tilled the land till I was 22 when I left for Vadodara to
pursue further studies. I started out as a chemist there, developed an
interest in acting and took off to Delhi to learn it professionally at
the National School of Drama (NSD). Today, I am based in Mumbai but I
still have fond memories of Budhana when my day used to start as early
as 4.30 am.As soon as I woke up I would head for the fields, drawing water from the tubewell for irrigation. The water had to be systematically distributed, it couldn't be allowed to collect in one place and go waste. At my time we didn't have tractor, so we'd plough with a hoe or use bulls. At 10 am I would get ready and leave for school. Most of the work was done in the morning but I'd still go to the fields for a stroll every evening because I enjoyed being there. We grew cash and food crops, mostly rice and sugarcane. I had once sold sugarcanes and gave the money straight to my father. Sometimes I'd joke that if that transaction could only happen without a receipt, I would have kept a percentage for myself. We've always had a comfortable life but I remember farmers losing a lot of money when insects destroyed crops. I'd feel really sad because I know how many compromises they had to make following such losses. When I went to Cannes in early 2016, I had met a bunch of French filmmakers who were also farmers from Nice. They introduced me to a unique irrigation technique called centre pivot, which helps farmers save on water and electricity. I want to introduce this technique in my village over the next two to four months.
Given my busy schedule, I don't get so much time to visit my gaon often, but whenever I'm there I still wake up at 4 am and sprinkle water in the fields. My children, Shora and Yani, also love it there and are playing in the fields all day. I have a farmhouse in Karasa now where I grow fruits and vegetables through organic farming, a method practiced even in my farms in Budhana. Farming is in my blood and there are times when I really miss the fields.
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