Nawazuddin Siddiqui is an Indian actor who works predominantly in Hindi cinema. Known for his intense performances and unconventional choice of roles, he is regarded as one of the most acclaimed character actors of his generation. After more than a decade of struggle and minor parts, he rose to prominence in the early 2010s through films such as Gangs of Wasseypur, The Lunchbox and Manjhi: The Mountain Man.
| Full name | Nawazuddin Siddiqui |
|---|---|
| Born | 19 May 1974 |
| Birthplace | Budhana, Muzaffarnagar district, Uttar Pradesh, India |
| Profession | Actor |
| Education | B.Sc. (Gurukul Kangri University, Haridwar); National School of Drama, New Delhi |
| Years active | 1999–present |
| Primary industry | Hindi cinema (Bollywood) |
| Notable works | Gangs of Wasseypur, The Lunchbox, Manjhi: The Mountain Man, Raman Raghav 2.0, Sacred Games |
Background
Nawazuddin Siddiqui was born into a Muslim family of zamindars in the small town of Budhana in western Uttar Pradesh. He is the eldest of nine siblings. After completing a Bachelor of Science degree from Gurukul Kangri University in Haridwar, he briefly worked as a chemist in Vadodara, Gujarat. He later moved to Delhi, where he was drawn to theatre, and subsequently trained at the National School of Drama (NSD), graduating in 1996.
Following his time at NSD, Siddiqui spent several years performing in the Delhi theatre circuit before relocating to Mumbai to pursue a career in films. The early years in Mumbai were marked by financial hardship and small, often uncredited roles.
Career
Early roles (1999–2010)
Siddiqui made his on-screen debut with a brief appearance in Aamir Khan's Sarfarosh (1999). He followed it with minor parts in films such as Shool (1999), Munna Bhai M.B.B.S. (2003) and Black Friday (2007), directed by Anurag Kashyap. He also appeared in New York (2009) and Peepli Live (2010), where his role as a journalist drew critical attention.
Breakthrough (2012–2015)
The year 2012 proved to be a turning point. He played the role of Faisal Khan in Anurag Kashyap's two-part crime epic Gangs of Wasseypur, which earned him widespread recognition. The same year, he featured in Kahaani as an Intelligence Bureau officer and in Talaash: The Answer Lies Within. In 2013, his performance opposite Irrfan Khan in Ritesh Batra's The Lunchbox received international acclaim. He played the title role in Ketan Mehta's Manjhi: The Mountain Man (2015), portraying Dashrath Manjhi of Bihar.
Later work
Subsequent films include Bajrangi Bhaijaan (2015), Raees (2017) opposite Shah Rukh Khan, Mom (2017) and Manto (2018), in which he portrayed the Urdu writer Saadat Hasan Manto in a film directed by Nandita Das. He played Ganesh Gaitonde in the Netflix series Sacred Games (2018–2019), based on Vikram Chandra's novel, which expanded his international audience.
Awards and recognition
Siddiqui has received the National Film Award – Special Mention for his collective work in Kahaani, Gangs of Wasseypur, Dekh Indian Circus and Talaash. He has been nominated for and won several Filmfare and Screen Awards in supporting categories. In 2019, the French government conferred on him a distinction at the Festival du Film de Cabourg.
Writing
In 2017, Siddiqui co-authored a memoir titled An Ordinary Life: A Memoir with journalist Rituparna Chatterjee, recounting his early struggles and entry into films.
Significance
Siddiqui's career is often cited as an example of the changing landscape of Hindi cinema in the 2010s, in which character actors with non-conventional looks and small-town backgrounds gained leading roles. His rise paralleled the growth of independent and parallel Hindi cinema, and his collaborations with directors such as Anurag Kashyap have been associated with the new wave of realistic, character-driven Indian films.