Bollywood’s Nawazuddin Siddiqui talks politics of caste in ‘Serious Men’

Gulf News

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00:00It's so good to see you though, after Sacred Games always, it's lovely to talk to you always

00:04because you do such interesting movies. I really enjoyed your take on money by the way.

00:11You're so disrespectful towards authority and your boss. I thought that is the most fun bit of it as well.

00:21You need to tell me like, did you have fun playing an irreverent role as well?

00:27The beauty of the character is that there are some flaws as well. He tries to be a bit of a fraud as well.

00:37He has a bit of innocence as well. It's a very thin line that you have to walk on.

00:43It will look easy but it's like a very difficult character to move on, on this track, on this thin line.

00:54What have you done in your life to progress?

01:01I have done a lot. When I went for admission in National School of Drama, I did a lot of things.

01:08There was a requirement that there should be 10 full length plays. I didn't do those 10 full length plays.

01:15I did 5 full length plays. I am telling you now.

01:20Mr. Sudhir Mishra, thank you so much for joining us. He is also here. Thank you for an entertaining feature.

01:28It's a satire as well which we really enjoyed, I must say. It's a portrait of the new India, I suppose.

01:35Aspiring for better, I suppose and the economics of caste.

01:41Perhaps you can tell us, what do you want the audience to take away Mr. Mishra from this movie?

01:46I don't know. I am a bit of a democrat. The audience can take what they want.

01:52See, you make a film and then the film belongs to an audience.

01:58People see films differently. That's why some critics will give it 4 stars, some will say it's bad.

02:05Some audience member will not like it. In Jabalpur, it will do well. In Kharagpur, it will do badly.

02:12Obviously, those people are seeing different films.

02:17It's not the same film. They don't like it. These people like it.

02:24You make a film. What I intended was to make a film about this fascinating character of Ayan Mani

02:33who takes life by the scruff of his neck, improvises,

02:38goes a certain distance when he realises he is going in some wrong direction and has the ability to pull back.

02:49It's a rather interesting story of a father and son and a desire of a father to see his son get things which is a normal Indian desire.

03:01Right?

03:32I don't know. Again, it's your film. After I made it, when you see it, it's your film.

03:44I'm very happy when I get various kind of reactions because you will see the film from your perspective.

03:52I think that's great. But I love the character. I think he's quite

03:58You know, he's just kind of using things in a way. He's just tweaking it a bit.

04:05All education is by rote.

04:15It's kind of a rote learning. He's manipulating it a little more and the teachers are not good enough to figure it out.

04:25Call him out.

04:26It is not where the game will end. It goes beyond him.

04:32And then what he does is the rest of the story, which is like, again, you know,

04:39he's a very, very interesting, but he's not a bad man. He's great.

04:47That's true. I like that. And Mr. Nawazuddin, is that what you like?

04:50What did you like most about your character? Was it his unapologetic self or manipulative self?

04:57What did you think? What did you love about Mani?

05:00Both the things actually.

05:20He's trying to be successful in his manipulative ways. That's where the drama is.

05:24Or, for example, we can never imagine an unsuccessful man who actually made a film in Bollywood.

05:31We can never imagine.

05:33That's right.

05:34It can be made in Europe or the West. Serious Man, yes, exactly. Serious Man, it is because

05:39it's fun then. That was the fun of this novel. And the fun of the character is that he tries,

05:47he tries, he tries, but at the end of the day, it doesn't happen.

05:53Do you read reviews? Have you been following up on the reviews? How important do you think they are?

05:59I like reading. I mean, there are people who see my work seriously and have bothered to

06:08look at it in detail. So, I mean, I could learn from something.

06:13So, I mean, I have some friends. I mean, I've never reacted badly to criticism.

06:21It's an opinion, right? So, I mean, is one critic's opinion more important than Jigar Thapoor's?

06:31To me, right?

06:34Manu Joseph's opinion is important. I would treat them at par and I look at everybody's

06:41opinion and I know many, you know, and I've learned sometimes, you know.

06:49But, you know, sometimes I've taken an opinion with a pinch of salt to criticism. Sometimes,

06:57I've said, yeah. And sometimes there is a right time later when you realise,

07:01no, he was right. At that time, I was more angry.

07:05Oh, I see.

07:09Sometimes my own criticism of my own work is more scathing than a lot of critics.

07:16Oh, really now? Oh, how did you rate your own movie?

07:21Because I have an opinion of my work also. So, if you ask me about one or two films of mine,

07:26I would, you know, can write a pretty scathing review.

07:30Right. Did Serious Men fly, you know, pass with flying colours? Graduate with honours?

07:37No, I mean, I'll have to see it. I'm too close to it at the moment. At the moment, it's just

07:43finished. Right.

07:46I need a slight distance from it. But I have a feeling, I mean, when I see it,

07:54I'm pretty, I like a lot of things about it, you know, and I quite enjoy it. I think,

08:02it's like Sudhir Mishra back again.

08:06That's true. He's back with a bang. Mr. Nawazuddin, do you read the reviews?

08:11You have got good reviews, by the way. I've been looking at a few reviews

08:15and they say you are the strength behind the movie The Soul.

08:18Outstanding.

08:20Yeah, sorry. I'm being a very, very realist here. But yeah, you're right. It's got some

08:25great reviews. But Nawazuddin is apparently the soul behind the film.

08:30No, Nawazuddin Siddiqui especially has got outstanding reviews. I don't think anybody

08:35has criticised him.

08:37No, nobody has. So, Nawaz, are you happy with all the reviews?

08:41Yes.

09:03Thank you both of you. You have entertained me and I'm sure you'll entertain millions

09:07others on October 2nd. Thank you for a wonderful film.

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