Nawazuddin Siddiqui On Why He Can Never Ask For Work: "Acting Is Important But Acting In Films Is Not"

Nawazuddin Siddiqui is known for his work in films such asThe Lunchbox, Bajrangi Bhaijaan, and Gangs of Wasseypur, among others

Nawazuddin Siddiqui's Bollywood journey is the stuff of legends. Starting as a character actor, Nawazuddin Siddiqui has headlined several films to varying degrees of success, but there has never been a doubt that he is one of the most prolific actors of the generation. Now, during his appearance on the Unfiltered by Samdish YouTube channel, Nawazuddin Siddiqui has spoken about his love for acting and the non-negotiables for him when it comes to his craft. Explaining that he could never bring himself to ask for work, the actor said: “If I don't have work tomorrow, I don't even have the strength to go and ask for it. I can't come to you and say, ‘Give me work.' I will sell my house, my shoes and everything and make a film on my own. I am so confident about that. I can't do that in my life. Acting is important, but acting in films is not. I will do it on the streets, trains or bus.”

Nawazuddin Siddiqui further said that he never expected to have such a successful career as an actor. “I never thought that I would be able to do these things, because I was a little laidback. I was a tube light. I used to stammer, and take time to understand things…When I am really angry, the stammering comes back. It went away in 2005 and 2006. Maybe it was there because of insecurity, and then when I achieved some things in life, it went away.”

In an interview last year, Nawazuddin Siddiqui spoke about his early days as an actor and how he wasn't paid for many of his gigs. “I used to wonder how I could collect my money from them [the producers]. I would go to their office every day to eat. Because when you go to collect your money, they often ask you to come after two or three months. So, I would go to eat lunch in their office every day for two months. No one denies you food. When I calculated the amount, I realised that the price of the food for two months would equal my pay. So, I would call it even and say ‘thank you very much' after two months,” the actor joked while shedding light on a bleak reality of the movie industry.