Don't like to watch film much: Nawazuddin

Talented Indian actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui played the role of a photographer in the recently released Indian film ‘Photograph’. Prothom Alo’s Mumbai correspondent Debarati Bhattacharya spoke to him about the film and his career.

Prothom Alo: You have taken a new challenge after ‘Manto’ and ‘Balasaheb’. What were the challenges this time?
Nawazuddin: To carry out the character as a realistic and simple one, is the hardest. Rithesh (Ritesh Batra) wanted it to be fully realistic - the way a common person leads his life. At times we had to do seven or eight takes for a single shot.

Prothom Alo: Did you have to learn photography for this film?
Nawazuddin: I had to learn many things. We had called in the photographers of ‘Gateway of India’ from Mumbai. We learnt how to take photographs, how to print them and also how they lead their life.

Prothom Alo: Are you fond of taking photos with the camera?
Nawazuddin: No, I do not have any such hobby. I am more comfortable taking photos with my cell phone.

Prothom Alo: When did you make your first portfolio?
Nawazuddin: I came to Mumbai in the year of 2000, but did not have the money to make portfolio then. Saving money, I took my first photograph during 2003. It cost me Rs 5,000 then.

Prothom Alo: Your films are being released continuously. Do you not fear of being over exposed?

Nawazuddin: I’ve acted in 200 plays. This means I’ve played 200 characters. I’ve seen at least 2,000 persons in my real life. I had no work ten years ago. For this, I won’t be over exposed if I even work for the next 100 years. I wasn’t from a rich family. I did not grow up in a mirror-walled room nor could ride a mirrored car. I had walked to the corners of Mumbai on my own foot. If I get more works now, what’s bad in that?

Prothom Alo: What kind of films do you like?
Nawazuddin: To say the truth, I do not like to watch films. I’m watching documentaries nowadays. I watched one by Asif Kapadia recently.

Prothom Alo: How was the Berlin film fest experience?
Nawazuddin: Extraordinary. We’ve been there for three days. Our ‘Photograph’ was screened at the biggest movie theatre there. It was a 3,000-seater.