We have seen Nawazuddin Siddiqui showcase his range as an actor in a short span, which could take others a lifetime. However, today on his 46th birthday, we are not going to talk about his successful performances as a leading man in the commercial business of Hindi film industry. We are rather going to speak about those few roles which leave a mark of their own every time we watch those films.
Whether it’s Taimur from ‘Talaash’, Mr. Khan from ‘Kahaani’, Askar Mukadam from ‘Black Friday’, Gopi from ‘Paan Singh Tomar’, Shaikh from ‘The Lunchbox’, or Chand Nawab from ‘Bajrangi Bhaijan’ – one common thing between all these characters is the magnetic and nonchalant performance by Nawazuddin. In an industry where character actors were not appreciated for a very long time, he created a place for himself with his powerful and entertaining performances. Nawaz started off his career as an informer in 1999 film Sarfarosh, and made small appearances in films like Munna Bhai M.B.B.S, Ek Chaalis Ki Last Local, and Manorama Six Feet Under. Be it either a challenging role or a critical situation, he has always managed to make an impact on the audience. His sheer presence on screen would make the whole scene lighten up, no matter what character he played. The dialogue delivery, the pause, the stress, the sense of comedy – his methods became a trademark, a trademark he was also unaware of. He did not only create a space for himself but also conveyed to us the importance of actors – whether in the lead or not.
He won Asian Film Award for Best Supporting Actor, Special Jury Award at National Film Awards, Zee Cine Award for Best Actor in Supporting Role – Male, Stardust Award for Best Supporting Actor, Screen Award for Best Supporting Actor for portraying the character of Taimur in ‘Talaash: The Answer Lies Within’. For the same film, he also bagged the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor, and Star Guild award for Best Supporting Actor for the role of Shaikh in ‘The Lunchbox’.
Adding small details to the character has always been Nawaz’s forte! Right from Shaikh’s imperfect speech to the comic timing of Chand Nawab, all these aspects made his characters immortal in our hearts. Do you know that Nawaz thought of quitting quite often in his struggling days? He had even taken up a job as a security guard. Nevertheless, all this led him to become one of the sharpest actors we have today. His dialogue, “Kabhi-kabhi galat train bhi sahi jagah pahauncha deti hai”, goes perfectly with Nawaz’s journey.
We wish him a very happy birthday, and thank him for all the splendid work he did as baap, dada, bhai and Faizal!
