Nawazuddin Siddiqui: Validation of hard work we poured into the film

Nawazuddin Siddiqui. Pic/AFP

His peers will admit it's not easy to surpass Nawazuddin Siddiqui's performance in a film. But it won't be wrong to say that the actor surpassed himself in Serious Men (2020), as the shrewd Ayyan Mani who refuses to be a victim in the dog-eat-dog world. His portrayal in the Sudhir Mishra-directed movie has earned him a Best Performance by an Actor nomination at the International Emmy Awards. "Working with Sudhir and playing the role of Ayyan Mani was a dream come true for me. The International Emmy nomination is a validation of all the hard work we poured into the film. I feel honoured to be part of meaningful stories that are being recognised globally, thanks to platforms like Netflix," says Siddiqui.

A still from Serious Men

The actor has been shooting for Heropanti 2 with Tiger Shroff in London. The Ahmed Khan-directed venture is as mainstream as they come, a far cry from the Netflix satire. Siddiqui says it's a calculated move to juggle masala films and offbeat cinema. "Since my theatre days, we would enact Shakespeare stories, and breathe life into Sanskrit stories. So the practice [of juggling two diverse worlds] has stayed with me. If I do a commercial film like Heropanti 2, I should be able to mould myself."

The actioner, his second outing with Shroff after Munna Michael (2017), sees him play a billionaire. From essaying a common man in his past few offerings to exploring the other end of the spectrum, Siddiqui enjoys testing his versatility by taking on drastically different roles. "That's the beauty of being an actor - he should be able to play a common man as well as [a billionaire]. I have been trying to ace this quality. If I am playing a commoner, I should not stand out in a crowd. And when I am portraying someone important, others [in the frame] should be overshadowed by me."

Also Read: Nawazuddin Siddiqui: Initially, had a problem with English dialogues