Nawazuddin Siddiqui: Not Dying to do a Hollywood Movie

New Delhi:

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: )

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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.

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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: )

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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: )

Though his contemporaries are branching out in Hollywood, Nawazzudin has no such temptation.

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"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: )

"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.