#BirthdaySpecial: 10 Things You Didn't Know About Nawazuddin Siddiqui

Bollywood is lucky to have an actor like Nawazuddin Siddiqui who is like a chameleon - hopping from one character to another effortlessly. He started with off-beat films and now his films are watched by millions. Nawazuddin started as an extra then transcended into side roles and then his grand role in Gangs of Wasseypur changed the game. He is often seen in the role of a villain or a sidekick in mainstream Bollywood but whatever he does garners great appreciation from the masses and the critics both.

 

Ahead of his birthday on 19th May, here lies a list of 10 things you didn’t know about Nawazuddin Siddiqui: -

1.       The actor who is an inspiration to millions of people revealed in an interview that his village had no theater. So, if he wanted to watch a movie, he had to travel 45 kilometers. Nawazuddin had to travel that long distance to catch a glimpse of cinema and his journey from an extra role to main lead also took several years - isn’t that ironic? That’s what dedication and commitment do to a person!

2.       Did you know that after graduating from Kangri University in Haridwar, Uttarakhand, Nawazudding worked as a chemist in a Petrochemical company? Post that he moved to Delhi and worked as a watchman. While doing this job, he joined the theatre and watched many movies and plays.

3.       If you are a true Nawazuddin fan, then you must know about his Cannes record. Well, Nawazuddin Siddiqui is the only actor in the world who had 8 films officially selected and screened at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival. And this number is only going to rise in the future.

4.       Nawazuddin belongs to Budhana, a small town in Muzaffarnagar district, Uttar Pradesh. He is one of the busiest Bollywood actors today but in between his shoots, he takes a break and goes to his native land to farm and lead a simple life. Do you know that his goal is to educate farmers about new farming techniques? Nawaz has also implemented new irrigation techniques in Budhana, which has proven to be a significant help to the local farmers.

5.       Web Series in India has just got popular and every month either there is a new app launch or some people are planning to launch an app for movies and series. Nawazuddin Siddiqui was among the very first actors in Bollywood who popularized web series among the Indian audiences and also within the Bollywood fraternity. His web series Sacred Games remains a milestone in the world of web series online. He was awarded “The Lesley Ho Asian Film Talent Award” at the prestigious Singapore International Film Festival for this series.

6.    Nawazuddin’s performance in Raman Raghav 2.0 was compared to the performance of Hollywood actor Anthony Hopkins in the iconic movie The Silence of the Lambs.

7.     Would you like to know who is your favorite actor’s favorite actor? Nawazuddin Siddiqui considers Ashish Vidyarthi as his acting idol who is quite an underrated talent in Bollywood.

8.       When asked about his dream role, Nawazuddin confessed that “it’s Salim from Mughal-E-Azam” and he says, “I know I can pull it off”. An actor who is mostly seen in negative roles dreams about portraying one of the most romantic roles ever written in Hindi Cinema - isn’t that challenging and interesting?

9.   Nawazuddin Siddiqui has won 15 film awards to date. He got the Special Jury Award at the 60th National Film Awards for his outstanding performances in movies like Gangs of Wasseypur 1, Gangs of Wasseypur 2, Kahaani, Talaash, and Dekh Indian Circus.

10.   Can you believe that in this cut-throat world of competition in Bollywood, Nawazuddin is one such actor who doesn’t have a PR person or a manager? He handles all his dates for shoots, events, and interviews alone.

It takes a brave person to become an actor. And after bravery comes patience and hunger. Nawazuddin Siddiqui has all these qualities. And that’s why after being one of the best Bollywood actors noted for his serious roles, he can effortlessly portray characters like Mahinder Fauji in Munna Michael who can dance in front of some paintings abruptly to Gandi Baat (an iconic Bollywood song from R… Rajkumar - watch this action-comedy movie on Mzaalo for free). Watch Munna Michael - a dance drama movie for free on Mzaalo. Download Mzaalo - the best free app for movies and series and win exciting reward coins from brands like Tanz, Fruit forest, Lal Mahal, etc.

We wish our favorite Bollywood actor a very happy birthday!