Dawn Images

Nawazuddin Siddiqui's come a long way in his career, but the success hasn't gone to his head. In fact, he's now more worried than ever about doing justice to the characters he plays. This effort is making him insecure.

Unlike many actors who have had their roots in Bollywood, Nawazuddin was a loner who worked against the tide to reach the top: "I’m from a family that is not even remotely related to Bollywood — my physical appearance isn’t the kind you’d expect to see in a Hindi film. But I knew I was an actor."

However, as time passed, Nawazuddin's insecurities changed. Earlier, he was concerned about getting roles and now he is worried about choosing the right ones: “Industry format mein hi insecurity hai....Formula hi insecurity wala hai. When I was trying to make my way in, about 70% films had the same plot — a hero, a heroine and a villain. There was hardly anything for anyone else. So, I was insecure about getting work. But I was clear kay kaam chota ya bara ho... bas mile aur main acha kar sakoon. The insecurity is different now."

With Manjhi — The Mountain Man garnering a lot of success, the insecurity is about about his character affecting his viewers: “Now, the insecurity is: if the character will leave its mark on the audience or not. The fresh guy I am playing...will he be fresh enough or not — kahin pichle character ka hangover toh nahi hoga? Appreciation isko milega ya pichle wale ke hangover mein hi honge log? It’s crucial that the character leaves its mark."

Despite the fame he has received, 41-year-old Nawazuddin remains humble and has received more than he had imagined: “Jitna socha tha usse zyada mila. All I wanted was to get work — screen-time of the role didn’t matter to me. I’m an actor and I wanted to work — be it in, films, theatre or TV,” says Nawaz who will soon be sharing screen space with Shahrukh Khan in Raees.