Nawazuddin Siddiqui: “Father Was Finally Proud After Gangs of Wasseypur”

Nawazuddin Siddiqui: Father Finally Proud After Gangs of Wasseypur.

Few actors in Bollywood embody perseverance like Nawazuddin Siddiqui. Today, he is celebrated for his depth, realism, and versatility, but his journey to stardom was anything but easy. Nearly two decades of struggle, rejection, and minor roles preceded his breakthrough.

Before Gangs of Wasseypur, Nawazuddin often appeared in the background of films like Sarfarosh and Munna Bhai MBBS, frequently playing petty criminals or characters who ended up beaten on screen.

“My Father Was Tense Seeing Me Get Beaten in Every Film”

In a candid conversation with YouTuber Raj Shamani, he revealed how these roles weighed on his family. “In the beginning, I kept getting beaten up in films. People from my village would tell my father, ‘Your son always gets thrashed.’ Every year it was the same, and he was very tense about it,” he said.

The tension led to a painful exchange. “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 upset and didn’t return home for three years.”

“After Gangs of Wasseypur, He Said, ‘This Time You Did a Good Job’”

Everything changed when Anurag Kashyap cast him as Faizal Khan. His commanding performance turned him into a star and finally earned his father’s pride.

“After Wasseypur, I asked my father what he thought. He said, ‘Yes, this time you did a good job.’ That meant everything to me,” Nawazuddin recalled.

A Mother’s Joy

While his father’s approval came later, his mother has always been supportive — even in her humorous way. “In Kick, I was sitting on piles of money. My mother said, ‘That was the best part — you were sitting on so much money!’”

With films like Thamma now to his credit, Nawazuddin remains one of India’s most versatile actors — a reminder that perseverance and talent eventually earn both success and pride.