Nawazuddin Siddiqui: Father Felt Proud Only After Gangs of Wasseypur

Nawazuddin Siddiqui: Father Felt Proud Only After Gangs of Wasseypur.

Few actors in Indian cinema embody resilience like Nawazuddin Siddiqui. Today, he is one of Bollywood’s most acclaimed performers, celebrated for his depth, realism, and ability to bring complex characters to life. But his journey to stardom was anything but easy — nearly two decades of struggle, rejection, and small, often unnoticed roles preceded his breakthrough.

Before Gangs of Wasseypur made him a household name, Nawazuddin was often the man in the background — fleeting appearances in films like Sarfarosh or Munna Bhai MBBS, frequently playing petty criminals or side characters who ended up beaten by the hero.

“My Father Was Tense Seeing Me Get Beaten in Every Film”
In a candid chat with YouTuber Raj Shamani, Nawazuddin opened up about the personal toll of these early roles on his family, particularly his father.

“In the beginning, I kept getting roles where I was always being beaten,” he said. “In Sarfarosh, my first film, I was beaten. Then in Munna Bhai MBBS, the same thing happened. Sometimes I played a thief, sometimes a pickpocket. People from my village would tell my father, ‘Your son always gets thrashed on screen.’ Every year it was the same, and he was very tense about it.”

The pressure eventually led to a difficult conversation. Nawazuddin recalled, “He asked me, ‘Why do you do these films if you just get beaten up?’ I told him, ‘Because I don’t get anything else — I’m trying.’ Then he said, ‘Then stop coming here after getting beaten up.’ I was very upset and didn’t return home for three years.”

“When I Did Gangs of Wasseypur, My Father Finally Said, ‘This Time You Did a Good Job’”

Everything changed when Anurag Kashyap cast him as Faizal Khan in Gangs of Wasseypur. His commanding performance, portraying fear and dominance instead of defeat, transformed his career — and his father’s perception.

“After Wasseypur, I went back home and asked my father, ‘So, what do you think now?’ He said, ‘Yes, this time you did a good job.’ That meant everything to me,” Nawazuddin recalled.

A Mother’s Pride, Always
While his father’s approval came later, Nawazuddin’s mother has always been a source of support — often with her own brand of humor.

“There was a scene in Kick where I was sitting on piles of money,” he shared. “After watching it, my mother said, ‘The best part was when you were sitting on all those notes — it really pleased me.’ I asked her why, and she said, ‘Because you were sitting on so much money.’”

Now, with films like Thamma under his belt, Nawazuddin Siddiqui remains one of India’s most versatile actors — a self-made talent whose journey reminds us that every struggle, no matter how challenging, can one day turn into pride.