The actor did several odd jobs during his struggling days.
Nawazuddin Siddiqui is currently one of the most celebrated actors in Bollywood. He is known as the epitome of versatility, having stepped into the shoes of many different characters over the years. He has appeared in several out-of-the-box films, namely 'The Lunchbox', 'Raman Raghav 2.0', 'Gangs of Wasseypur', etc.
Siddiqui enjoys a massive fan following not just in India, but also abroad. As many as 8 of his films have been screened at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival. Also, he is often spotted as the chief guest at many international film festivals. He even received an International Emmy nomination for his performance in Netflix's 'Serious Men'.
Well, it was never easy in the first place. He had to go through enormous struggles to reach where he is today.
So, on the legendary actor's 49th birthday, let's have a look at his journey to stardom in this article.
Siddiqui did several odd jobs before getting recognition as an actor. He once worked as a watchman in Noida. Speaking about the same, he revealed in an interview, "I had spent eight years of my life in Delhi and Noida and I feel I belong to this place. Before I got admission in NSD, I used to work as a watchman at a toy factory in Noida. At that time, Noida was nothing but a barren land and the Film City area was under construction. The city has developed quite a lot now."
I got fired from the job at the toy factory as the owner saw me sitting three times. I then shifted to Delhi and started doing theatre with Sakshi group. After that, I got admission in NSD. There, I got hostel facilities, a proper mess and scholarship - aur aise saari cheezein solve hoti chali gayin."
Besides working as a watchman, the actor did several other jobs as well before making a place in Bollywood. He also worked as a chemist in Baroda, Gujarat.
He revealed in another interview, "I worked odd jobs - sometimes as a watchman, sometimes selling coriander. I even held acting workshops! I must have gone for a 100 auditions and took up every single role that came my way, no matter how small it was. It took 12 years before I got a 'breakthrough'. It wasn't easy - the struggle was not beautiful; it was just that; a struggle."
