Before Gangs of Wasseypur catapulted him to nationwide fame, life looked very different for Nawazuddin Siddiqui. He arrived in Mumbai with barely any money, took up work as a watchman to make ends meet, and immersed himself in theatre to hone his craft.
After years of getting by on little more than tea and Parle-G biscuits, he finally earned the recognition he deserved – yet has remained characteristically modest about his journey.
In a recent interview, the 51-year-old actor opened up about the struggles that preceded his rise to fame, his unwavering dedication to his craft, and how he coped with the hardships along the way.
He recalled grappling with moments of self-doubt, often feeling as though luck was not on his side in the industry. The emotional toll of those years weighed heavily on his mental health, at times leaving him in tears on the streets.
Nawazuddin Siddiqui started doubting himself, feeling as though he was unlucky and unfit for the craft. He recounted, “In the beginning, you have a lot of confidence and passion. But gradually, after facing repeated struggles, your confidence starts to fade. You begin to doubt yourself, whether what you learned was wrong, which is why you’re not getting work.”
He admitted that at times he felt simply unlucky, while at others he questioned his own suitability for the craft, wondering if he was truly cut out for it. He added, “I have seen that mental state where I started doubting myself, felt unfit. It feels like bad luck has struck you – like every opportunity slips away just when you’re about to get it. For almost 10 years, I felt like I was manhus (unlucky). Whenever a big opportunity came, it would suddenly slip away.”
Siddiqui reflected on just how difficult it was to break through in the industry – opportunities would come his way, only to slip through his fingers just as quickly. He recalled sharing news of new roles with family and friends, only to sometimes be dropped from projects before filming had even begun.
He said, “I would even tell my brother and friends that I had got work in a film. But when the shooting dates arrived, I would be fired – sometimes without even being informed. There were many times when I felt like crying in the middle of the road. And I did cry – while also looking around to make sure no one was watching.”
There was a time when poverty defined his daily existence. The actor recalled surviving on Parle-G for all three meals, as he struggled to make ends meet. So closely is the biscuit tied to that difficult phase that even today, he says, eating a Parle-G brings back memories that leave a bitter taste.
