Cannes: Having risen from an actor who began his career with small bits in various films, Nawazuddin Siddiqui has clearly reached a point where he has shown not only his versatility, but also the ability to hold films on his own. The actor, who will be seen playing writer Saadat Hasan Manto and late Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray in separate films, says he’s done with cameos.
Here for his film “Manto”, which features in the Cannes Film Festival’s Un Certain Regard section, Nawazuddin was all praise for the film’s director Nandita Das’ “impeccable research”. He shies away from naming a favourite director or even sharing his wish list.
“If I take names, the others will feel bad about it. As an actor, I only look at stories, script and most importantly my character in the film. There is also a selfishness that works and I think it’s quite normal that I look for characters that will challenge me and push me to the limits,” Nawazuddin told this correspondent.
He is clear that there is no room for any more cameo appearances for him. “No, I will not do it anymore (laughs). It’s as simple as that, why will I do them? I am done with my quota of small roles,” he said. Nawazuddin is also venturing into production, taking on projects such as “Manto” as a co-producer.
