MUMBAI: The actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui has spoken candidly about experiencing discrimination and harsh treatment in society. He revealed that he's been told he's ugly for a long time, and regrettably, he's started to believe it in an interview with the popular news portal. Nawazuddin expressed his gratitude to the film industry despite this, saying it has given him recognition and a variety of roles. Although he regrets that people like him experience prejudice, the actor expressed gratitude for the opportunity Bollywood has given him.
(Also read: Exclusive! Nawazuddin Siddiqui on how he handles failure, “I am an actor and I try to do my work with honesty”)
About the unequal treatment, he stated, “Pata nahi shakalo se humari nafrat kyun hai kuch logon ko. Kyunki shakal hee aisi hai – itne badsurat hai humlog. Humein bhi lagta hai jab apne aap ko aaine mein dekhte hai. Hum bhi bolte hai apne aap ko ‘kyun aa gaye film industry mein itne gande shakal leke?’ (I don’t know why some people hate the way we look. Maybe it’s because we’re just that ugly. Even I feel it when I look at myself in the mirror. I question why I came into the film industry with such a bad appearance).
He added, “I’m the ugliest actor – physically – in the film industry. Main toh yeh maanta hoon. Kyun ki main shuru se yeh sab sunte aa raha hoon aur abhi maanne bhi laga hoon (I have been hearing it for so long that I’ve started to believe it. I have no complaints about the film industry).”
Nawazuddin, however, thanked Bollywood for giving him his due. “Film industry say mujhe koi shikhayat nahin hai. I want to thank all the directors that have given me variety of characters. Agar aapke andar thora saa bhi talent hai toh industry bahut kuch deti hai. Society mein discrimination hai, industry mein nahi (If you have even a bit of talent, the industry offers you a lot. There’s discrimination in society, but not in the industry).”
The actor had a major role in Gangs in Wasseypur directed by Anurag Kashyap, and talked about the love he still gets for the movie.
“For five months after the release of Gangs of Wassepur, wherever I went, people would tell me, ‘Sir, we have watched the film 25 to 30 times.’ I thought they were just joking and making fun of me. For 3-4 years, I believed these were all lies. Mujhe laga log maza uda rahe hain – main samne padh ja raha hoon isliye bol rahe hain. It was much later that I started believing that the movie had become a big deal and people must have watched it many times!”
Rautu Ka Raaz, a suspense thriller on Zee5, stars Nawazuddin Siddiqui.
(Also read: "Atmosphere Speaks to an Actor": Nawazuddin Siddiqui Realized While Shooting with Irrfan Khan for Short Film)
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Credit- News 18
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