This is not ordinary

Amarjot Kaur

The controversy surrounding Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s recently released, and then withdrawn, autobiography titled An Ordinary Life: A Memoir commands attention for the way the actor projected the details about the women in his life.

With salacious excerpts, about his affairs with his co-star Niharika Singh and his former girlfriend Sunita Rajwar, going viral on Internet, the 43-year-old actor took to Twitter on Monday to post an apology that read: I m apologising 2 every1 who’s sentiments r hurt bcz of d chaos around my memoir #AnOrdinaryLife. I hereby regret & decide 2 withdraw my book.”

The apology came three days after Sunita Rajwar wrote a copious post in Hindi, on Facebook, taking on the ostensible story of her relationship with Siddiqui as mentioned in his book. Opening her post with: kehte naseeb waqt badal sakta hai, fitrat nahi, Sunita stated that Siddiqui was one-year senior to her in NSD (National School of Drama). In the post, she blamed her breakup with Siddiqui to the fact that he was a ‘sympathy seeker’. 

Siddiqui’s Miss Lovely co-star Niharika Singh too went on record. While Singh had admitted that she was considering legal action against Siddiqui for sharing intimate details about their relationship without her consent, Delhi-based advocate Gautam Gulati has registered a complaint at National Commission for Women (NCW) against him. Reportedly, Gulati said that he does not know Niharika Singh personally, but has lodged a complaint with NCW with a request to give direction for the registration of FIR under sections 376 (rape), 497 (adultery) and 509 (insulting the modesty of a woman) of IPC. “He was evidently married when he was having an affair with Niharika and kept her in the dark about it,” she was quoted saying.

Kangana Ranaut and Hrithik Roshan’s relationship-battle controversy and now Siddiqui’s filter-less stories about his relationships... all this makes you want to question the kiss and tell syndrome.  Here’s what actors, publishers, legal experts, and feminists have to say about the controversy. 

Book wise

In any autobiography, it is an author’s prerogative to say what he wants to say what he or she wants to. The only possible problems are with defamation, and (in case of political memoir) if there’s national security issue. At Harper Collins, the book is always sent to a lawyer to get a legal opinion. I haven’t read the book yet, but he seems to have offended certain individuals. Ideally, if you are writing about someone, it is an author’s prerogative to run it through the person who you are talking about. 

Udayan Mitra, publisher at Harper Collins

Sauciness aside

Everything aside, I feel it is important that if you are writing about someone in your book, you should take their consent. More so, if what you are writing about could offend someone or impinge on their privacy. 

Sonu Sood, Bollywood actor

Privacy violated

Nawaz’s is a clear case of ‘violation of someone’s privacy’ and that too without any proof or consent. However, he’s decent enough to take the story back, and that says a lot about Nawaz. Maybe he did not understand that the story would lead to such repercussions. I’ve known him as a dignified gentleman, a genuine person, and now that he has apologised, one must put that matter to rest. 

Aahana Kumra, recently seen in the film Lipstick Under My Burkha

amarjot@tribunemail.com