Unfiltered by Samdish ft. Nawazuddin Siddiqui | Powered by Woodland

Summary

The candid conversation between interviewer Samdish and acclaimed actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui touches on Nawaz's unconventional path to acting success. They discuss his early struggles being typecast for his looks, finding encouragement from director Anurag Kashyap, letting go of self-consciousness in acting school, and finally feeling free and confident in his craft. Nawaz shares amusing anecdotes about living in poverty as a struggling actor, his experiences with drinking, sex and relationships, enjoying the fruits of stardom, and desiring artistic integrity over commercial success. The interaction reveals Nawaz's authentic, humble personality despite fame, his close bonds with family, his love of world cinema, and his enthusiasm for pushing creative boundaries.

Takeaways

• 😊 Nawazuddin struggled early in his career due to his looks and stammering but gained confidence after being appreciated in Black Friday.
• 😮 He took weight gain pills prescribed by Vijay Raaz which made him gain 17kgs in 15 days.
• 🤯 Nawazuddin ran extremely fast to get a music cassette for a girl who rejected him by commenting on his looks.
• 🥳 He got his first magical hug from his father who would scold him affectionately and ask him to eat.
• 👀 A girl in Dubai made Nawazuddin buy her a Louis Vuitton bag worth 2.5 lakh rupees.
• �Arg He feels actors should make films aligned to their sensibilities even if they have to produce it themselves with a small budget.
• 😡 He says he can never request someone for work and will sell everything to make his own films but not ask for work.
• 😌 Nawazuddin discovered Osho 8-9 years back through a friend and initially had reservations but later got influenced.
• 🤔 He believes the purpose of life is enjoying what you have, staying fit, traveling, working hard and being good.
• 😃 He thoroughly enjoyed the freewheeling interview by Samdish with unusual questions.

Q & A

How did Nawazuddin feel when he first drank alcohol?

Nawazuddin drank alcohol for the first time in drama school at NSD. He felt disoriented and ended up repeating dialogue from plays after having a few drinks. It was an amusing experience for him.

What was unique about Nawazuddin's experience working with the Russian theatre director?

The Russian director made the students do simple exercises like walking across the stage and eating a ladoo to break down their learned acting tricks. This experience helped strip down Nawazuddin's acting to just honesty and truthfulness.

How did Nawazuddin build his early acting skills?

As a student, Nawazuddin used to act as a blind man to get cheap vegetables and pretend to be different people to play pranks. Though amateurish, these activities allowed him to experiment with improvisation.

What is Nawazuddin's view on method acting versus realistic acting?

Nawazuddin believes truthful, honest acting is the foundation for any style or method of acting. The root has to be natural, without artificial performance tricks.

How did Nawazuddin's stammering help shape his career?

Nawazuddin's stammering stemmed from childhood insecurities. Overcoming it as he gained success helped build his confidence as an actor.

What are Nawazuddin's thoughts on the Indian film industry?

Nawazuddin feels Indian films rely too much on plot tricks and lack authenticity. He wants to make films with long silences and odd moments, with complete faith in the work.

How did Nawazuddin react when complimented on his looks for the first time?

Nawazuddin was surprised and didn't believe it when first complimented on his looks. He gained some confidence after being called handsome in reviews for his role in Black Friday.

How did Anurag Kashyap impact Nawazuddin's career?

Anurag gave Nawazuddin great roles and opportunities early in his career. Nawazuddin is grateful for the warmth, affection and belief Anurag placed in him.

What are Nawazuddin's plans for the future?

Nawazuddin wants to write and produce films aligned with his own sensibility, even on a small budget. He wants to keep growing through unique roles.

How does Nawazuddin view money and fame?

Nawazuddin sees money and fame as byproducts, not goals. He measures success by the new things he learns through each role and the process of acting.