By Subhash K Jha

What a year it has been for the super-talented actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui! Three of his performances in Kahaani, Gangs Of Wasseypur and Talaash were applauded unanimously.

And now at year-end Nawaz has bagged a prestigious film with Dibakar Bannerjee which the Shanghai director has decided to make prior to his Kolkata-based murder mystery that he planned to make next.

Nawaz, who is currently busy playing the Mountain Man in Ketan Mehta's bio-pic on the Bihari road-builder Dashrath Manjhi, would now be exploring an all-new facet of his personality as an actor: himself!

One hears Dibakar's film delves into the psyche of a struggling actor. And who can put up a better struggle than Nawaz who spent 12 years struggling for a foothold in Bollywood?

Dibakar says Nawaz will play an `ordinary man` in his film. He wants facets of Nawaz's real life on screen. The director in fact is researching into elements from Nawaz's past to incorporate into his character.

Says Nawaz, `It's true that Dibakar is looking into my background to build the character. In fact Dibakar's assistant came to my village, Budhana in Uttar Pradesh to see where and how I lived before I became an actor, to meet my family and to understand where I come from. `

In Dibakar's film Nawaz will play a theatre actor who gets swallowed into a clerical life in Mumbai but dreams of pursuing his first love. Veteran actor Sadashiv Amrapurkar will be pay Nawazuddin's mentor in theatre.


Says the actor, `I go into Dibakar's film immediately after I finish Ketan Mehta's Mountain Man which needs just 4-5 more days of shooting on the railway tracks of Gaya in Bihar. I am thankful to directors like Ketan and Dibakar for showing so much faith in me as an actor. I've stuggled a very long time to get this opportunity. `

Nawaz considers Gangs Of Wasseypur to be turning-point in his career. `I am so grateful that Wasseypur came before Talaash. I'd have remained a character actor if it wasn't for Wasseypur. Now I'm being offered only lead roles. `

Nawaz says he's treading cautiously. `I am listening to 4-5 scripts every day. But I've accepted only three offers for 2013. I am hungry for opportunities. But I don't want to over-do it. When I look back on 2012 I see a lot to be grateful for. `