‘Some people might get miffed after they read the memoir’

T he publishing house felt I’ve had an interesting life,” says Nawazuddin Siddiqui, talking about the time he was approached by a publishing house to chronicle his journey in a book. The book is titled ‘An Ordinary Life: A Memoir’ and releases today. Nawazuddin says, “How I’ve come from a village and made it in the industry on my own, the journey fascinated them. So that’s when I agreed to pen down my journey,” he says.

The memoir took about a year and half to write. Ask the actor if he was apprehensive about opening up on his life and going into detail about his personal life, relationships and one-night stands, and he says, “I feel it’s important to write the truth or else it is better not to write at all. Some people might get miffed after reading the book, because I’ve mentioned names in it. Ho sakta hai meri pitai vitai bhi ho (Maybe, I will get beaten up). But I’ve mentioned only what has actually happened.”

Nawazuddin adds that most aspects of his life have been covered in the memoir. “Right from my early days and my struggling phase to the point my life changed. The frustration and depression I went through, the opportunities I received, the amount of hard work I put in work, and even the mistakes I made in life, everything is chronicled in the book.”

Talking about biographies or memoirs that have encouraged him, the Raees actor says, “I’ve read many autobiographies and biographies of various personalities so far, but I found Mahatma Gandhi’s autobiography inspiring.”

The frustration and depression I went through, the opportunities I received, the amount of hard work I put in, and even the mistakes I made in life, everything is chronicled in the book. NAWAZUDDIN SIDDIQUI, ACTOR

PHOTO: WASEEM GASHROO/HT