‘Survived on biscuits, felt like crying’: Nawazuddin Siddiqui on Bollywood rejections before Gangs of Wasseypur

Nawazuddin Siddiqui is a name synonymous with remarkable performances, unconventional roles, and expressive eyes that leave a lasting impression on fans. Be it playing an honest and empathetic reporter in Salman Khan’s Bajrangi Bhaijan or essaying the character of the evil yet funny Yakshasan in Ayushmann Khurrana-Rashmika Mandanna’s Thamma, the 51-year-old never fails to showcase his versatility. Although Nawazuddin first appeared on the big screen in John Matthew Matthan’s 1999 police drama Sarfarosh, his true breakthrough came in 2012, with director Anurag Kashyap’s gritty gangster saga Gangs of Wasseypur – Part 2.

Despite tasting sweet success now, Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s initial years in the film industry were far from a bed of roses. The actor, in a recent conversation with Radio Nasha, has opened up about his financial struggles, repeated Bollywood rejections and crying on the road, early in his career.

Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s struggles

Nawazuddin Siddiqui, in the candid interaction, said that a person’s confidence begins to fade and passion starts to diminish after facing repeated failures, a phase that happened to him. The actor added that during such trying circumstances, an individual starts doubting themselves, constantly questioning whether they did or learned something wrong. ‘It feels like bad luck has struck you,’ admitted Nawazuddin, explaining that it felt like every opportunity slipped away from his hands like a fistful of sand.

Nawazuddin Siddiqui revealed that for almost a decade, he was convinced of being unlucky. The actor remembered that whenever he informed his brothers and friends about getting the chance to work in a film, he would be fired without any prior warning, that too when the shooting dates were near. When this happened repeatedly, Nawauddin felt like bursting into tears in the middle of the road. He cried when no one was watching.

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Speaking about his financial constraints, Nawazuddin Siddiqui stated that he would be forced to survive on Parle-G biscuits. Interestingly, whenever he eats the biscuit today, it transports the actor back to his struggling days in Delhi, where he had only the same brand of biscuits for breakfast, lunch and dinner. ‘Even now, if I eat it, it makes me feel like I have nothing. The taste still brings a lot of pain,’ he noted.

Despite the setbacks, Nawazuddin Siddiqui was always committed to his craft. The actor recalled that there would be times he would walk on the street, practising his dialogues out loud as passersby would stare at him, wondering if something was wrong with him. Coming to the present, Nawazuddin will next be seen in director Aditya Kripalani’s Main Actor Nahin Hoon, which will premiere on May 8. The actor is also a part of the much-anticipated Tumbbad 2, scheduled to hit theatres on December 3, 2027.