Citing the example of his latest film Badlapur, which ditched the cliched image of a hero and a villain, actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui says Bollywood is doing away with fixed caricatures and welcoming character-driven stories.
The Lunchbox star feels the industry is in an exciting phase right now as even top stars are experimenting with their image.
"Lines are blurring now between character-actors and the typical Bollywood heroes. Today, character is the hero in a film. There is no typical hero or villain now. Like in Badlapur, Varun and I are both heroes as well as villains. Ranbir Kapoor also plays characters in his film," said Nawazuddin.
"In fact the superstars are also attempting that. I am working with Shah Rukh Khan in Raees, where he plays a gangster so that is again a character," Nawazuddin told PTI in an interview.
The 40-year-old actor, who has been immensely praised for his performance in Badlapur, said the film was a dream come true for him. "It was of my dream of past 10 years to work with Sriram (Raghavan). I am really happy that I did Badlapur. I just had a one line narration, which was 'A good guy becomes bad and the bad becomes good' and I decided to do the movie. Also the idea of me and Varun cast together excited me as we come from different schools of acting," Nawazuddin said. (Also Read: Varun Dhawan Enjoyed Working With 'Method Actor' Nawazuddin Siddiqui)
The Talaash actor said the director is his criterion to do any movie and everything else becomes secondary for him in front of a good filmmaker.
"For me the priority while signing a film is the director. A good director can create wonders even with a bad script but a bad director can ruin even the best script. I have no other greed than working with great directors," he said.
While fans express surprise and doubt when Nawazuddin does a big-budget commercial film like Kick or picks up a Raees, the actor has his reason to be in these movies and that is their directors.
"I will never do something, which would upset my fans. The big films I have done and I am doing have directors I admire and wanted to work with. I always wanted to work with Kabir Khan so I am doing Bajrangi Bhaijaan and same goes for Raees director Rahul Dholakia. If I am getting a good director and a role of my choice, why should I not do that film," Nawazuddin said. (Also Read: Sriram Raghavan Has Made Badlapur With his Heart, Says Nawazuddin)
The actor also believes it is good for him to balance between big-budget and small films as the visibility from a commercial movie helps his other projects. "If by doing a movie with Shah Rukh or Salman brings some audience to my small movies, what is the harm in it? It is important for me to balance," he said. (Also Read: Working With Salman Khan Again Will be 'Great,' Says Nawazuddin Siddiqui)
Though his contemporaries are branching out in Hollywood, Nawazzudin has no such temptation.
"I would rather have my picture earn a lot in foreign market than do a film there. I am very happy that both my movies Gangs of Wasseypur and The Lunchbox did well in the US so I would like that to happen with my future films," he said. (Also Read: Small Budget Films not Promoted on Huge Scale, Says Nawazuddin Siddiqui )
"The kind of small budget films I do are no less than the international films. If we are making that kind of cinema here then why do I need to go out. Of course, if I get something nice, I would do but I am not dying to be a part of any Hollywood movie," he said.
