Bollywood actors' mouth water upon getting a Hollywood offer: Nawazuddin
Mumbai: Bollywood actor Nawazudin Siddiqui has proved his acting calibre time and again.
Though quite humble from within, he has his own dignity preferring getting work based on his own talent.
In today’s times, our actors, especially the female actors are all running towards the West, working in Hollywood films, which has become a status symbol of sorts. They often don’t care if their role is meaty enough or not.
However, Nawaz has stayed clear of joining the bandwagon.
“I shall never go to the West just to seek work. If at all Hollywood filmmakers feel I am capable enough to perform exuberantly on the Hollywood silver screen, then its they who need to approach me for work,” Nawaz said.
Adding further, he says, “Our own peers from Bollywood in comparison feel our films are much smaller than Hollywood. They themselves try to push boundaries in order to make themselves available to be working in Hollywood films. No sooner do they get offers for the smallest possible role, Unki laar tapakne lagti hai (Their mouth starts watering)."
On the pressures of working in Hollywood films, he further adds, “I am not only happy about being a part of Bollywood industry but also proud about working in Hollywood. But I am not keen on getting the Hollywood trade mark (Mujhe Hollywood ka thappa nahi chahiye).”
Quoting a refreshing example of veteran actor Dilip Kumar, Nawaz said, “Years back Dilip Sahab was offered a role equal to Peter O Toole’s in Lawrence Of Arabia. Undeniably, Dilip Sahab had turned down this offer merely saying, ‘If I get to play the lead role, I shall work in this film.’ Do any of us in recent times have the guts to leave Hollywood films stating what Dilip Sahab did then?”
Further elaborating on the state of mind of his peers here he says, “We all have started considering our own films to be worthless in comparison to Hollywood films. Hollywood film makers need to know the skills that we actors possess. This will enable them to approach one and all and offer apt roles to us. They should be fully aware of the actor they are approaching and what role they could pull off in tandem with their calibre.”
On being open to be working in Hollywood, Nawaz shortly concludes, “Yes! Indeed, I am open to offers from Hollywood or anywhere from around the globe. But wheichever industry I perform in, I shall work on the same terms and conditions as I work here in Bollywood with.”
Nawaz will be seen sharing screen space with Sridevi in his next film, ‘Mom’.
