Nawazuddin Siddiqui says people only want to see a victory at the end of a film
Actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui is happy with the audience’s response to Thackeray but feels the Indian audience only likes to see a winning end. In an exclusive chat with HT, he spoke about the roles he likes and why the bigger stars don’t play grey characters.
Actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s performance in Thackeray is earning his praises. The actor not just looks strikingly similar to the late Shiv Sena leader Bal Thackeray but is also seen mouthing his powerful speeches to perfection. The actor is happy with the response for the film but tries to maintain a safe distance from being a part of any controversy or politics. In an exclusive interview with HT, Nawazuddin revealed how people have started greeting him by joining their hands like Balasaheb Thackery in the film. Ask him about the response and he sums it up saying, “It’s good.” Excerpts from the interview:
How much do you agree with Bal Thackeray’s ideology?
An actor doesn’t have his own ideology. Whenever I play a role, I have to believe in the ideology and philosophy of the character. Without understanding his ideology, I cannot do justice to the character. Once the task is done, I step out of the character and move ahead to step into another character and his ideology.
Thackeray can be your biggest solo hit. You were equally convincing in Manto. Why did it fail to get such a good response at the box office?
We do not want to see a negative trait in the lead character. Maybe Manto’s habits or the end of the film wasn’t acceptable to the audience. May be the viewers wanted to see a winning end. The films have spoiled us, we only want to see victory at the end. I did another film Raman Raghav 2.0 but it did not leave the desired impact on the minds of the audience probably because of the negative protagonist.
If Shiv Sena supports you in the upcoming elections, would you like to join politics?
I will never join politics, not even in future. I am an artist and will continue to be an artist all my life.
What is the best compliment you have received so far?
People who know Bal Thackeray and who have lived with him had tears in their eyes. They turned emotional on seeing me as Thackeray on screen. That was the biggest compliment for me.
When can we expect the second season of Sacred Games?
It should arrive between June and August. You will forget the first season after watching the second season.
Why do you play so many negative roles on screen?
I have played many positive roles like the ones in Freaky Ali, Bajrangi Bhaijaan and Mom. They are not negative roles, they are grey-shade characters. Raman Raghav was a grey character. Negative characters used to exist in earlier films when the villains only had negative qualities. I haven’t played a character with not even a single positive trait. I like playing such characters and they look good on screen.
Why don’t you ask other actors that why don’t they play negative roles? Our stars play only positive roles for over 20- 30 years. Why don’t you ask the stars, whom you and I are a fan of, play only one kind of role throughout their lives?
What do you look for while picking up a role?
I want to do all kinds of experiments with my roles. I do all from Ganesh Gaitonde, Thackeray, Freaky Ali, Manto, Bajrani Bhaijaan to Maajhi. I like to play roles which put me in an uncomfortable zone and give me an opportunity to experiment. I like to pick up challenging roles.
The author tweets @ruchik87
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