It’s been eight months into the year and Nawazuddin Siddiqui has already delivered diverse punches on the big screen — an immoral teacher in Haraamkhor, an upright cop in Raees, a resourceful private eye in Mom and a gangster who wants to dance in Munna Michael. His newest film, Babumoshai Bandookbaaz, has the talented actor playing a brazen killer for hire. Dogged by controversies — technician problems, a walkout by leading lady Chitrangda Singh and finally, the demand for 48 cuts by the censor board — this Kushan Nandy film hasn’t had a smooth ride so far, but has generated sizeable pre-release buzz.
t2 caught up with Nawaz recently when he was in Calcutta, with co-star Bidita Bag and producer Ashmit Kunder, to promote the film now playing in theatres.
Is Babumoshai Bandookbaaz the toughest film you’ve been a part of, given the numerous controversies and the run-in with the censors?
Actually, haan, I don’t really know what’s happening with this film… kuch na kuch chala hi jaa raha hai. Maybe it’s happening for the good (smiles). We have to accept all that has happened and just look forward to the release. But yes, the demand for 48 cuts really took me by surprise, as it did everyone else. Forty-eight cuts would mean that our film will no longer be a feature film… usko toh short film bana diya! (Smiles wryly) [Babumoshai Bandookbaaz has finally been released with eight “voluntary” cuts.]
I knew that we would get an ‘A’ certificate, par ‘A’ certificate ke saath 48 cuts milenge yeh kabhi nahin socha tha. If such things are allowed to happen, they will completely damage the fabric of our films. If we make so many cuts, then the intercut between the scenes is such that you won’t be able to make out head or tail of the film. The smoothness of a film, it’s arch and its graph are completely mutilated when such things happen.
The censor board has just witnessed a shake-up with Prasoon Joshi replacing Pahlaj Nihalani as chairman. As someone whose films have constantly suffered at the hands of the censor board, how optimistic does this change make you?
I have a lot of hopes from Prasoon Joshi… and so does the whole industry. He’s a genius in whatever he does… he’s an expert in advertising, in writing…. Whenever I have spoken to him, I have always found him to be a very sorted person. Bahut learned aadmi hain aur cinema ke baare mein unko bahut understanding hai. We are all hopeful that he will implement his principles and his thoughts when it comes to the working of the censor board.
Your character, Babu, in Babumoshai Bandookbaaz has been described as ‘besharam’ and brazen. What was it like playing him?
This man has no values and absolutely no principles. My character (Faisal) in Gangs of Wasseypur was also a criminal, but he had a moral compass. He was loyal to his wife. But Babu is a rangeen character in every sense of the word. He doesn’t have the concept of a family, he has no true friends… he doesn’t believe in human goodness and morality at all. But subconsciously, he gives women a lot of respect, no matter how bad he is. Thoda mindset mein liberal bhi hai, lekin baaki kuch mein bahut dark hai.
What’s the kind of headspace you had to get into to play Babu?
There are, of course, references given by the director. And then, as an actor, you bring in your own life experiences. Main grateful hoon apne uss pichhle life ke liye… I started from a very small village (Budhana in Uttar Pradesh)… then moved to a slightly bigger village… then to a small town and then Delhi and eventually to Mumbai. I have seen a lot of how life is lived in almost every part of the country. I have been a part of different social circles and have interacted with various kinds of people.
Most of what I put into my acting — including in this film — is from the observations I have made of people I have met and interacted with. Whenever I play a character, I don’t base them on characters or actors I would have watched in an English or a Hindi film… mere aas paas ke log mere dhyan mein aate hain. I had people like what I played in Wasseypur in my village… the man I played in (The) Lunchbox was based on someone I worked with when I was doing a 9-to-5 job…. The rest, of course, depends on how much you, as an actor, can allow your imagination to soar.
We heard that you had a tough time getting out of this character when you would go back home from shoot?
(Laughs) Yes, this is a man like that… you can’t jerk him off easily. Itna shameless hai ki main bata nahin sakta! His sense of humour is also so twisted that after a while, I didn’t know whether to admire him or to hate him (smiles). But that’s the mark of a good character, I feel. It should completely get into the skin of the actor and when you all watch the film, I hope it gets into your skin too. He’s ruthless, he’s a killer for hire, but he is also thoroughly professional… uske saamne dus log khade ho sakte hain lekin woh sirf ussi ko maarega jiske paise miley hain usko (laughs). He’s not the typical Bollywood hero, nor is he the typical Bolly villain. We’ve tried to break a lot of conventions with this role.
The last time we spoke, you had said you were thinking of a comeback to theatre. Given that you haven’t signed a film after your next, Manto, is that on the cards?
Actually, I have been hearing some film scripts, but haven’t said ‘yes’ to anything so far. Abhi toh cinema enjoy kar raha hoon. Whenever I feel there is a point of saturation, I will think of doing other things. One thing I really want to do is conduct workshops for aspiring actors. Dekhte hain kya hota hai (smiles).
Priyanka Roy
