I can never forget my theatre days in Delhi’s Mandi House: Nawazuddin Siddiqui

Actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui fondly remembers the time when he used to rehearse for plays in the Mandi House central park in Delhi.

Nawazuddin Siddiqui might be a star in Bollywood now, a regular in Mumbai —the film capital of India — but it is Delhi where his fling with acting bloomed into a long-term relationship. “I have worked in Delhi for seven years. I was with the National School of Drama for three years and did street plays for four years. I remember the time when people would not get enough space to rehearse at the Mandi House central park because there were so many others practising. Wo memories kabhi nahi bhuli jaati (One can’t forget those memories),” reminisces Siddiqui.

Bollywood actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui says theatre will always stay close to his heart.

The 42-year-old says the theatre artists produced during that time belonged to a different league altogether.

“I’m talking about the time frame between the year 1992 to 2000, the kind of artists theatre produced in those days have no comparison. There used to be no internet or mobile at that time and people were just focused on rehearsing for their roles in a play.”