‘I HAVE BECOME AN ACTING STUDENT AGAIN’
Nawazuddin Siddiqui is using the lockdown to hone his craft by watching a slew of ‘tough’ films
By now, almost all the Bollywood stars have discovered various ways to stay busy during the lockdown. But Nawazuddin Siddiqui feels this “free time” has given him “an opportunity to rediscover myself as an artiste and sharpen nuances of my craft”. “So, you can say I’ve gone back to being an acting/ cinema student all over again,” he shares.
And for the same, the actor has hit upon a “unique, special method”. He explains: “I watch back-to-back movies of one particular favourite actor of mine such as Anthony Hopkins, Daniel Day Lewis, Ricardo Darin and Tony Leung etc. Then, I move on to another actor’s films. That way, I understand how the same actor must have prepared for different parts. So, I get a sneak peek into his mindset and processes.” Siddiqui maintains he “just can’t sit through ‘timepass’ films”.
“The idea is to watch tough, path-breaking work. I feel people — especially the younger generation —are also watching that kind of work on OTT platforms. So, after this period [Covid-19 restrictions], ‘time-pass’ films may start looking out of place. And accordingly, our filmmakers also have to alter their craft,” says the actor, who was busy shooting for Kushan Nandy’s (of Babumoshai Bandookbaaz fame) next when the lockdown came into force.
Siddiqui was also supposed to travel to New York for shooting. Is he missing work? “I’m not, because I am the kind of person who gets accustomed to different situations. This pandemic will give us a completely new perspective towards everything. And whoever sticks to the same old mindset will appear odd and outdated,” he says.
Once things return to ‘normal’, Siddiqui feels he is going to “observe and value every day of his life much more”. “Plus, I will also attach great value to every human being as well as his well-being. I feel something inside all of us will alter. Most importantly, this pandemic has made all of us realise that only the idea of oneness will help us sail through such tough situations,” he adds.