On top of a mountain

A short, lean man has been standing near the stage for a while — he blends in with the crowd… there are no second glances. And it’s only when the emcee announces his name that Nawazuddin Siddiqui emerges from a group  gathered — a little nervous because by his admission, he doesn’t like the “promotions” much. But thankfully, he’s back to a city he’s comfortable with. “I’ve been here on vacations too. I also shot for Nandita Das’ Firaaq in the city. And yes, I have been to Hyderabad quite a few times for movie promotions.”

Nawazuddin Siddiqui has come a long way in Bollywood. Eagle-eyed fans will remember him as the small-time detainee in Sarfarosh (1999). His role lasted a few minutes and most of it was spent getting thrashed by Aamir Khan’s character — a cop.

Today, one of his lines from a movie has gone viral and Siddiqui has directors and producers making a beeline for him. “My last few movies have been successful but that did not put any pressure on me. I choose scripts based on the character I am offered... I am never bothered about box office collections. Acting is my passion and I just do my role,” he says.

A dialogue from the movie, ‘Never leave things to God, what if he had left it to you’, is now trending on the Web. That line has a certain truth to it. “I never left things to God either. I would’ve never reached this position if I had done that. Even God supports only those who want to achieve something. If you have a passion that drives you, there’s nothing in this world that can stop you. Success takes time and effort. I always wanted to act… and I never gave up on that dream.”

The journey wasn’t easy
“It was like breaking a mountain… lots and lots of ups and downs. But I made it. Over a decade of struggle has brought me to this position —  where I’m getting a lot of scripts, where a lot of directors are approaching me but I have the liberty to choose projects. If an actor can choose what he or she wants to do, I guess that’s success.”

His latest film, Manjhi The Mountain Man, is based on a true story. “It’s one of those movies no actor can turn down. I am lucky to have bagged this role. This is a role which only an ‘actor’ could have done. So, either Amitabh Bachchan could have done the role or Dilip Kumar or Nawazuddin Siddiqui,” he says.

He continued to talk about the movie’s demanding shoot. “It was very difficult to shoot on location. We had to climb mountains. I had to carry a 20-kilo hammer and use it to crush rock. Mere toh yeh bangaye is se (pointing towards his biceps).” About the man on whom the movie’s actually based on… Siddiqui is ready with a salute. “Today’s youth should consider him as a role model. He has been breaking mountains for 22 years for his love. For me he is Superman — who does unbelievable things. His story gives out a message that nothing is impossible.”