WEB DESK: In a recent interview, Nawazuddin Siddiqui opened up about the challenges he faced while filming *Gangs of Wasseypur*, a film that catapulted him to fame alongside Huma Qureshi, Pankaj Tripathi, Manoj Bajpayee, and Richa Chadha.
The 2012 epic crime drama, directed by Anurag Kashyap, saw Nawazuddin Siddiqui essaying the role of Faisal Khan, the son of Sardar Khan (played by Manoj Bajpayee) and Nagma Khatoon (played by Richa Chadha). Reflecting on his early days on set, Siddiqui shared an anecdote from the shoot during an appearance on Shubhankar Mishra’s podcast.
“I received a ten-page script from Anurag Kashyap and wanted to give it my all. Slowly, I started behaving like Al Pacino. On the first day of the shoot, I was full of Al Pacino. I was reacting like Al Pacino,” Nawazuddin Siddiqui recounted.
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However, director Anurag Kashyap quickly noticed the actor’s unconventional approach. “We were staying at a small hotel in Banaras, and Anurag called me to his room and said, ‘Ye kya kar raha hai tu? Tu pagal hai kya? Ye kis tarah se kar raha hai tu? Overacting kyun kar raha hai? Power kyun show kar raha hai?,” Siddiqui recalled.
Realising his mistake, Nawazuddin Siddiqui had to reshoot all his scenes from day one, particularly the sequence where Definite meets Faizal in jail. Kashyap’s intervention proved pivotal in refining Siddiqui’s portrayal and aligning it with the director’s vision for the character.
Gangs of Wasseypur Part 1 was followed by a sequel boasting an ensemble cast that included Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Manoj Bajpayee, Richa Chadha, Huma Qureshi, Reema Sen, Piyush Mishra, Pankaj Tripathi, Zeishan Quadri, Rajkumar Rao, and Tigmanshu Dhulia. The film series remains revered for its narrative depth and the performances of its talented ensemble.
