Nawazuddin Siddiqui recalls being dragged by the collar for trying to eat with the main leads

Actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui, who started his Bollywood career by doing smaller roles in films like Sarfarosh, Munna Bhai M.B.B.S., and Manorama Six Feet Under to name a few, is now known for leading projects such as Sacred Games, Gangs of Wasseypur, Manto, and Raman Raghav 2.0 among others. It took more than two decades of Nawazuddin to be known as one of India’s finest actors.

In a recent interview with BBC Hindi, the actor recalled how he was mistreated on sets and discriminated for wanting to eat with the main leads of a project.

When asked if people would misbehave with him when he wasn’t as well-known as he is now, he shared, “Of course, thousands of times. Sometimes on set, I would ask the spot boy for water, and he’d completely ignore me. Then you’d have to get it yourself. A lot of productions here segregate the cast and crew during meal times. Junior artists eat separately, the supporting artists have their own space, and the main leads are also separated.”

“On some productions, and I have to credit Yash Raj Films for also doing this, everybody eats together. But a lot of production houses make divisions. I would often try to eat where the main leads were eating, but I’d be dragged out by the collar. I was ego-driven, and I would get angry; I thought actors should be given more respect. And sometimes they’d let me through," he added.

On the work front, Nawazuddin has an interesting lineup of films which include Noorani Chehra, Haddi, Tiku Weds Sheru', and Adbhut.