Nawazuddin Siddiqui was recently seen in ZEE5’s murder mystery Rautu Ka Raaz, where he played the role of a cop investigating a murder in a sleepy hill town. The film is directed by Anand Surapur, who had previously helmed The Fakir of Venice (2009).
Nawazuddin had known Anand for a long time, having worked with him on some music videos. So, when he was approached with the script of Rautu Ka Raaz, what struck Nawazuddin was the slowness embedded in it. “It was like a leisurely composed murder mystery set in a village where no crime has happened,” he says.
We speak to the acclaimed actor on bringing nuance to the police characters in his films, why he has lost hope in Bollywood and of course, Gangs of Wasseypur:
Excerpts:
Nawaz, you have played cop characters before, be it in Raees (2017) or Raat Akeli Hai (2020). How do you make it seem different in each film?
When I play a cop, the uniform remains the same, but the person behind it is entirely different. His background is different, his childhood is different, his past is different, and his thought process is different. That’s why all the characters are distinct from one another. While playing these roles, I never go for their popular perception. Whenever I imagine a character, I always take real-life references. I never take references from other films to play my character. In Rautu Ka Raaz, my character stays in the mountains, and then I think of how people in the mountains live. What would be their pace of existing? So, in that respect, to break the perception of how a cop is traditionally played, I think this is a good experiment.
Your last three films were Saindhav, Haddi (2023), and Tiku Weds Shiru (2023) and they were entirely different from each other. Has your method of selecting films changed in the past few years?
I believe, as an actor, you are always known for your choices. You are not known for your hits or flops. In the 60s-70s as well, there were some who were experimenting through their work like Guru Dutt and Balraj Sahni. But there were many stars too whom everyone liked. But even at that time, some were experimenting and their choices were very different. We still remember them today. So, I think the real talent lies in your choice. It’s important to experiment, to discover something. Even if you fail sometimes, it’s okay.
Your filmography has a fair share of dark roles and lighter comedy roles. Which ones do you enjoy doing more?
I don’t have any preference or liking to play a particular role. I experiment with comedy and I enjoy doing that. If you play only one kind of role, you tend to get bored, and it becomes a routine job. However, doing different types of roles is like taking up new challenges.
You will complete 25 years in the industry this year since your first appearance in Sarfarosh in 1999. What changes have you observed in yourself in these past years in terms of being an actor and a person?
There have been many changes. Earlier, I wanted to put everything into my performance. I wanted to show my skills to everyone to let them know what I have. But now, nothing of that sort has remained within. It’s rather the opposite. I just think of what not to do while performing. I try to do less and create more boundaries around my performance.
So, is there something in the popular understanding of acting that you would never want to do?
In terms of acting, I don’t like to make my performances seem indulgent. Like doing a lot for a small scene. Other than that, there is nothing that I would never do. I want to do work in all kinds of films, be it commercial or arthouse. Because as an actor, commercial films are worthy experiments for me to see how I can be comfortable with mainstream sensibilities.
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