Nawazuddin Siddiqui is a prolific actor known for his phenomenal performances in Talaash, Bajrangi Bhaijaan, Scared Games and many more. The actor has won several accolades for his acting skills. But he does not want to restrict himself to playing only the ‘hero’. He draws inspiration from real people around him. The Gangs of Wasseypur star says in an interview,

Because I observe characters from real life, I know people have both good and bad characteristics in them. When you put both of them together, what you get is a complete human being.

Here is a list of his films where Nawazuddin Siddiqui has played real-life characters or characters inspired by real people:

1.       Saadat Hasan Manto in Manto

In bringing the character of the intense writer, Saadat Hasan Manto, Nawazuddin Siddiqui has done a wonderful job. The writer had been afflicted by the gruesome events of the partition making him write stories like Thanda Gosht, Khol Do, Toba Tek Singh, and Kali Shalwar which director Nandita Das intertwines with the plot of her 2018 movie. Nawazuddin wonderfully recreates the writer’s character on screen, portraying him in all his shades; his restlessness, his defiance, his all-knowing air. The movie was screened in Cannes Film Festival 2018.

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2.       Dashrath Manjhi in Manjhi-The Mountain Man

This 2015 release is about a poor labourer from Gehlur village in Gaya, Bihar. The man had carved a 9.1 metres wide and 110 metres long path through a 7.6 metres hill using only a hammer and chisel. While the film received a lot of praise, Nawazuddin Siddiqui stole the show with his portrayal of Manjhi.

In a promotional interview, the actor confessed that this was his most difficult role to date.

3.       Balasaheb Thackeray in Thackeray

Nawazuddin Siddiqui is all set to star in the upcoming biopic Thackeray. It is based on the life of Balasaheb Thackeray, the founder of Indian political party Shiv Sena and world-renowned cartoonist. Known for his phenomenal performance in earlier biopics, expectations are high from Nawaz. The movie is slated to release in 2019.

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4.       Shaikh in The Lunchbox

Although the lead cast of this 2013 release was Irrfan Khan and Nimrat Kaur, Nawaz supported the plot excellently with his performance. His presence as an honest and simple man added to the charm of the movie. He won his one and only Filmfare for The Lunchbox. Nawaz says that he drew inspiration for his character from a friend with whom he used to share a flat. His friend told the actor about all his disappointments and from this Nawaz created his character.

5.       Zilgai in New York

In the 2009 release New York, Nawazuddin Siddiqui had a blink-and-miss role. As Zilgai, Nawaz played the role of a victim of the Detention system introduced by former American President, George W. Bush. Although the character is not based on a particular person, it does, however, portray the real brutality faced by people under suspicions of terrorist activities. He shows how they are diverted from the normal run of society because of the torture they had to undergo while in Detention.

To portray a real-life character an actor needs a depth of skills to completely adopt the mannerisms of the person. Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s performances in the above movies verify this statement. He is not only a brilliant actor but one who is true to his craft.

The actor has a host of upcoming films like Ghoomketu, Housefull 4, Motichoor Chaknachoor and many more.

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