Nawazuddin Siddiqui: I don't take myself too seriously as an actor

A still from Serious Men

In 2003, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, a struggling actor then, had dropped in on the Kolkata set of Sudhir Mishra's Calcutta Mail, featuring Anil Kapoor and Rani Mukerji. An admirer of the filmmaker's work, he was hopeful of landing a role in the movie. "I happened to be in the city at that time, and was keen to meet sir [Mishra], hoping that he would consider me suitable for a role, but could not even reach him. I was just another struggler," recounts the actor.

Almost 17 years later, Siddiqui has realised his dream of working with Mishra. The actor is earning rave reviews for his nuanced performance as the ambitious Ayyan Mani in Serious Men. Describing himself as a director's actor, he says, "You have to understand the director's mind. Before the film rolls, there are rounds of meetings and readings, that's when I start internalising what the director wants. I don't take myself too seriously as an actor. I do what I have to, and leave the rest to the audience."

The Netflix film is an adaptation of Manu Joseph's 2010 novel of the same name. The actor did not pore over the book, but followed Mishra's vision to bring alive the protagonist, who is willing to go to any extent to provide a better life to his son. "I could identify with Ayyan's character as I have had my share of struggles in real life. I have a son, so the connection was stronger. Every parent wants the best for his child."

One of the finest actors of the current generation, Siddiqui doesn't shy away from admitting that he was intimidated by Chennai-based co-actor Aakshath Das, who plays his son. "He would come well-prepared on the set, like Hollywood actors do. I realised from the first day of the shoot that yeh toh baazi maar le jaayega; I knew he would steal the show. There is no way of being one-up on a child. I didn't have to be patient with him, but rather scared of him," says Siddiqui.

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