Nawazuddin Siddiqui reveals father stopped him from visiting home over roles where he got beaten, praised him after…

Nawazuddin Siddiqui, acclaimed for his acting, faced early struggles with minor roles in films that unsettled his father.

Nawazuddin Siddiqui is regarded as one of the finest actors in contemporary Bollywood, celebrated for his versatility and depth of character. Yet, his rise to fame was far from easy. Nawazuddin began with blink-and-miss appearances in films such as Sarfarosh and Munna Bhai MBBS, often playing petty criminals or background characters who were beaten on screen.

Nawazuddin Siddiqui said his career transformed with Gangs of Wasseypur, earning him respect from his father.

Nawaz talks about his relationship with father

In a conversation with YouTuber Raj Shamani, the actor recalled how these early roles deeply unsettled his father. “In the beginning, I was always getting beaten up in films. In Sarfarosh, my first movie, I was beaten. In Munna Bhai MBBS, the same thing happened. I was a thief, a pickpocket, always on the receiving end. People from my village would tell my father, ‘Your son is always getting beaten in movies.’ He was very tense about it. We are from Western UP, where everyone has a lot of pride. He asked me, ‘Why do you keep doing such roles?’ I told him, ‘I don’t get anything else; I’m trying.’ He then said, ‘Then stop coming here after getting beaten up.’ I was so upset that I didn’t visit my village for three years.”

Everything changed when Anurag Kashyap’s Gangs of Wasseypur was released, transforming Nawazuddin’s career overnight. His powerful portrayal of a gangster earned him critical acclaim and newfound respect. “After the film, I went back to my village and asked my father, ‘So, what do you think now?’ He smiled and said, ‘Yes, this time you did a good job,’” he recalled.

Nawaz's latest projects

Nawazuddin recently appeared in the horror-comedy film Thamma, starring alongside Ayushmann Khurrana and Rashmika Mandanna. It was released during the Diwali period and has grossed around ₹125 crore worldwide.

Nawazuddin has several intriguing projects lined up. There is the heist thriller Faraar, in which he plays a physics professor opposite an international cast including Ilia Volok. He’s also part of Section 108, a film about one of India’s biggest alleged scams, and the cyber-drama Blind Babu, set for release in 2026. Other upcoming titles also include Noorani Chehra and Sangeen.