Nawazuddin Siddiqui, whose film No Land’s Man is all set to compete at the prestigious Busan Film Festival, believes it is an opportune time for actors

Nonika Singh

Nawazuddin Siddiqui, the gifted actor, needs no introduction. However, each new project of his calls for deliberation and elaboration. As he is ready with his new film No Land’s Man that turns the phrase No Man’s Land upside down, he talks about the American Bangladeshi project, quintessentially about a man’s identity and his quest for self- discovery.

With the film nominated for Kim Ji-seok Award at the prestigious Busan Film Festival, Nawaz shares how the acclaimed Bangladeshi director Mostofa Sarwar Farooki brings out the best in actors. He adds, “Mostofa is a very interesting human being and part of what he wants to say reflects through his personality as well his work. Besides, when an actor is playing a certain part he has his own insecurities. Only a director like Mostofa ensures that an actor who is in his vulnerable space at that point feels comfortable and secure.”

An actor of Nawaz’s calibre one would assume is always secure. But Nawazuddin has a different take, “If I were to always be in a comfort zone, each part of mine be it Manto or Thackeray would be a clone of the other.” Since No Land’s Man happens to be his first feature film in English, the actor, who is otherwise more comfortable with Hindi, asserts that language is no detriment. “It takes only a day or two to find one’s sur.”

In fact, the film’s title might be No Land’s Man, today certainly every land belongs to an actor. Nawaz, who has previously acted in international series McMafia and just the other day nominated for an International Emmy for Serious Men, is not eying international success per se. Or for that matter trappings of fame. In NSD he learnt the all important lesson, “Prasiddhi aur siddhi mein fark hota hai. You can become popular overnight by walking naked on the road while mastering one’s craft requires dedication and effort.” No wonder, he is not misled by stardom. Nor does he care to repeat himself. Today web might be the go-to medium for actors, but Nawaz, whose breakout series Sacred Games once again established him as an actor par excellence, said no to nearly 60 projects of the same ilk. For he cares to set trends and not follow the same.

Clear vision

A regular at film festivals where more than one film of his has gone, he hails festival films as ones which involve great vision and application of mind. No Land’s Man he also insists is a very engaging film, fast-paced at that which would capture audience’s imagination and attention. Yet he does not believe that audiences today are more ready for content-driven films. “Audiences have always been there. Only films with a difference never got the much-needed platform. I bet you give any film starring any Tom, Dick or Harry 5,000 screens and it will do business worth Rs 20-crore in a single day.” If you think that he is taking a dig at the superstars, the actor quips, “I am only pointing out at the fallacies in the system.”

Interestingly, while the biggest lesson he learnt from the lockdown has been ‘to be in the moment and not hanker after worldly things’ he even has a ready reckoner for the entertainment industry. “Until the entertainment world realises that it can’t keep pedalling the same hero heroine formula over and over, it will receive many more jolts.” On the turbulence in his personal life (he was on the verge of a divorce), well, the actor would not entertain any questions on the domestic front. Professionally, he is ready to field any queries just as the actor in him is ready to play any part, howsoever, challenging. No Land’s Man…. but every land is Nawaz’s as he remains every man’s and every director’s actor.

Rohit Shetty helms the cop universe in Bollywood, having super-hit cop movies, including Singham and Simmba, and the highly awaited Sooryavanshi. Now, as Rohit Shetty is reportedly almost done with his film Cirkus, starring Ranveer Singh, he is ready to introduce us to another cop drama. According to reports, the filmmaker is backing an eight-episode web series for Amazon Prime Video, which will be helmed by his assistant director Sushwanth Prakash.

Reportedly, Sushwanth has been a part of Rohit’s team for years and this time around, Rohit will serve as the showrunner for the digital offering. Actors, including Vicky Kaushal, Sidharth Malhotra, and Tiger Shroff, have been reportedly approached for the lead role.