From watchman and chemist to one of Bollywood’s finest — Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s journey is nothing short of inspiring.
The actor best known for his roles in films like ‘Gangs of Wasseypur’, ‘Black Friday’, and the web series ‘Sacred Games’, Nawazuddin Siddiqui is celebrating his 51st birthday. Starting with brief appearances that lasted just two minutes on screen, Siddiqui has now become one of the finest actors in the Hindi film industry. It is his perseverance and deep respect for his craft that have earned him the love and admiration of his audience. On his birthday, let us revisit his journey — for it is a lesser-known fact that Nawaz once worked as a watchman and a chemist.
Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s journey in Bollywood has been anything but easy. While he is now gaining international acclaim, his early days were filled with struggle — he once worked as a watchman and later as a chemist.
Nawaz earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry from Gurukul Kangri University in Haridwar. After graduating, he took up a job as a chemist in Vadodara, where he worked for a year before moving to Delhi in search of new opportunities. It was during his time in Vadodara that the idea of acting first took root.
Remembering that period, he shared, “Our family used to watch Ram Leela plays together. That was my first brush with acting. One of my friends played Ram, and seeing him on stage left me star-struck! I would imagine myself in that role. After college, I worked as a chemist in Vadodara. One night, I watched a play for the first time — and that’s when the dream of becoming an actor truly began.”
To pursue admission into the National School of Drama (NSD) in New Delhi, Nawaz acted in over ten plays with a group of friends, including one in Dehradun, to meet the eligibility criteria. Following in the footsteps of many NSD alumni, he eventually moved to Mumbai — and that’s where the real struggle began. Nawaz arrived in Mumbai in the 1990s, but the toughest phase came between 2002 and 2005, when work was scarce. He shared a flat with four others, made ends meet through occasional acting workshops, and sometimes had to borrow money from friends. During this time, he also worked as a watchman in Mumbai to support himself financially.
Nawaz made his Bollywood debut in 1999 with a small role in ‘Sarfarosh’, starring Aamir Khan. He continued to appear in cameos and supporting roles, but his breakthrough came when Anurag Kashyap cast him in ‘Black Friday’.
Nawazuddin Siddiqui's journey is a true testament to being self-made. As he proudly stated, “I went from playing an insignificant role in ‘Munnabhai MBBS’ to winning a Filmfare award for my role in ‘Lunchbox’. I went from being unrecognised in ‘Sarfarosh’ to being known as Ganesh Gaitonde across the nation. I went from being a watchman to becoming the 'watch me' man."
