Nawazuddin Siddiqui

Siddiqui was born in Budhana, a small town in Muzaffarnagar district, Uttar Pradesh, into a Muslim family of zamindar background. He studied chemistry at Gurukul Kangri University in Haridwar and worked briefly as a chemist in Vadodara before moving to Delhi and then Mumbai to pursue acting. He trained at the National School of Drama in Delhi, graduating in 2002, and began his career with minor roles in television and film, including a brief appearance in Munna Bhai M.B.B.S. (2003). His early years in Mumbai were marked by struggle, including living in cramped quarters and taking on odd jobs to survive.¹

Siddiqui's breakthrough came with Anurag Kashyap's crime saga Gangs of Wasseypur (2012), where his portrayal of the ruthless Faizal Khan earned widespread critical praise and established him as a formidable talent. He followed with roles in The Lunchbox (2013), Badlapur (2015), and Raman Raghav 2.0 (2016), often playing morally ambiguous characters. His performance in the Netflix series Sacred Games (2018) as the troubled cop Sartaj Singh brought him international recognition, and he has since appeared in films like Manto (2018) and Thackeray (2019). He has won multiple awards, including the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor for Talaash (2012).²

Siddiqui is known for his methodical approach, often losing or gaining weight for roles and speaking in distinct dialects. He frequently collaborates with auteur directors like Anurag Kashyap and Tigmanshu Dhulia, and his work has been praised for bringing depth to characters that might otherwise be one-dimensional. He has also been a vocal advocate for better pay and working conditions for character actors in Bollywood, and his success has opened doors for actors who do not fit the traditional leading-man mold. His international projects include the British film Bajrangi Bhaijaan (2015) and the American series McMafia (2018).³

Beyond his film career, Siddiqui has written an autobiography, An Ordinary Life (2021), which details his struggles and rise. He has also appeared in a music video for the band Indian Ocean, and he once worked as a watchman in Mumbai to support himself. He is known for his reclusiveness, rarely attending industry events, and has been involved in legal disputes over his film contracts. He has also acted in regional cinema, including a Marathi film Baba (2017), and has voiced characters in animated features. His early career included a role in the critically acclaimed but commercially unsuccessful Black Friday (2007), which was delayed for years due to censorship issues.⁴

National School of Drama

India's premier theatre training institute, located in New Delhi.

Zamindar

A historical landowner class in India, often associated with feudal estates.

Method acting

An acting technique that encourages actors to fully immerse themselves in their character's emotions and experiences.