Nawazuddin Siddiqui will be seen as an effeminate villain in Heropanti 2. The film, which also stars Tiger Shroff and Tara Sutaria, will hit screens on April 29. The Free Press Journal caught up with the versatile actor for an exclusive chat. Excerpts:
You not only choose different characters each time but also try and give yourself a new look. How did Laila happen?
It was my deliberate decision to do a role like Laila in Heropanti 2. I thank (director) Ahmed Khan and (producer) Sajid (Nadiadwala) bhai for seeing me in a role like this. I was mentally prepared to do the role when I read the script. The film and my role are in the commercial zone, but I got an opportunity to add a few nuances in Laila. It was an interesting process, but I didn’t use any method acting. There is one thing to be in character, and one thing is to present that character.
We hear that Ahmed had you in mind as Laila while writing it. Your thoughts?
Laila is like a chameleon. The role has different shades to it. He is not a one-dimensional character. He is a magician by profession who is very unpredictable and feminine. I like characters who have some sort of weirdness.
Were you apprehensive about playing a feminine guy?
I always wanted to do a role like this for a very long time. I was looking for a role that is villainous and feminine at the same time. It was a risk for me to play such a character in a commercial space. For Laila, the whole world is like a stage where he has to perform. There’s a scene where I am putting nail polish on my fingers, it wasn’t a part of the script initially, but I improvised it.
Do you believe the lines are blurring between hero and villain in a film narrative?
The format of filmmaking is still the same, and there will be one hero and a heroine along with a villain. The typical formula films are the same but keeping the commercial element alive; the task is how many traits one can add. As far as cinema, on the whole, is concerned, filmmakers are coming up with their own set of formulas. In today’s time, villains are not one dimensional.
Heropanti 2 is your second outing with Tiger Shroff after Munna Michael. Do you have a comfort zone with each other?
It is obvious that if you do a film or two with a particular actor, you tend to develop a comfort zone with each other. Acting is a very collaborative work, and he is a very understanding co-actor.
Of late, you have finished shooting for several romantic films. Do you feel you have broken the image of a serious actor?
My image has always been that of a versatile actor. While I was doing Manto, I was playing a gangster in Sacred Games and a different role in Photograph. You can’t bind me in one image. I thank all the filmmakers who keep seeing me in different kinds of roles.
