About his debut in Telugu with Venkatesh Daggubati, Nawazuddin Siddique said 'Saindhav' will be a memorable film.
Nawazuddin Siddiqui is the main antagonist in 'Saindhav'. (Nawazuddin_S/X)
Having won accolades for his versatile acting prowess in Bollywood, actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui says he has no qualms about foraying into the Telugu film industry this late and is in no hurry either.
“Every actor waits for a good story. I, too, waited for the right script to dig in,” he quips.
Although Rajinikanth’s Petta (2019) was the first South Indian film he appeared in, Nawazuddin describes his Telugu debut — Venkatesh Daggubati’s Saindhav — as a memorable movie.
“Working with Venkatesh garu is a dream for any actor. It is a pleasure to work with him,” he is all smiles.
Bollywood actor Nawazuddin Siddique. (Nawazuddin_S/X)
As part of Saindhav‘s promotions, Nawazuddin Siddiqui interacted with the media in Hyderabad on Sunday, 7 January.
When asked if there was any reason to appear as a villain in Saindhav after playing grey characters in his recent films, the Bollywood actor said, “I never see a character as grey or positive one, villain or protagonist. What matters to me is whether the character is interesting enough to hold the viewers’ attention.”
He added, “Sometimes there is more opportunity to perform in negative roles than positive ones. Director Sailesh Kolanu has designed a very unique character in Saindhav. It is a character with a lot of potential to perform.”
The Lunchbox (2013) actor says he found a great thrill in dubbing himself for the character in Saindhav. Crediting director Kolanu in this regard, Nawazuddin pointed out that he does not like someone dubbing his voice.
“The character does not have that depth if it is not my voice. I played a typical Hyderabadi guy Vikas Malik, who speaks both Deccani and Telugu. I insisted that I dubbed my lines to do justice to my character,” Nawazuddin Siddiqui revealed.
The actor elucidated, “Understanding the language and its nuances was crucial for me. Learning a new language can be challenging initially, but as you become familiar, it becomes easier. I’m not a fan of using prompts. I prefer learning and delivering my dialogues, no matter how difficult they may be. This was the approach I took for Saindhav as well.”
A pre release celebration can’t be better than this 😍💥
Victory @venkymama & team #SAINDHAV sets the stage on fire at the Grand Pre Release Event🔥🔥
IN CINEMAS from JAN 13th, 2024 💥#SaindhavOnJAN13th#SsaraPalekar @KolanuSailesh @Nawazuddin_S @arya_offl @ShraddhaSrinath… pic.twitter.com/pXehIrnhSr
— Niharika Entertainment (@NiharikaEnt) January 7, 2024
‘Saindhav’ marks the Telugu debut of Bollywood actor Nawazuddin Siddique. (Nawazuddin_S/X)
Nawazuddin says he is a fan of Telugu films and frequently watches them when he has free time.
“I have seen many Telugu movies and watched Venkatesh’s family subject. I also watched his movie Anari (1993) in Hindi when it was released in the 90s,” he recalled.
About Venkatesh, the Bollywood actor noted, “There is a lot to learn from every actor. Venkatesh is a composed personality. He always looks calm. He would work on his lines before coming to the sets. He took a lot of risks in the action scenes.”
Nawazuddin hastened to add, “He (Venkatesh) did the action himself without any dupe. His character in the film is very intense. I learned many things from him during this short journey of 40 days.”
Apart from Venkatesh, Nawazuddin Siddiqui reveals he is close to Natural Star Nani in the Telugu industry.
“I got to discuss films with him many times. I know Rana Daggubati, too. South Indian actors are a talented lot. It’s a great feeling to have collaborated with Telugu actors now,” he said, adding that he wants to do a biopic of Osho (Bhagawan Rajneesh).
Giving a piece of advice to the aspiring actors, the actor said, “It is always good to maintain your originality. Avoid imitating or copying others. Let your true self shine through on screen.”
Saindhav is scheduled for release on 13 January for Sankranthi. It is the story of a police officer who turns a gangster.
Sailesh Kolanu is the director. It stars Venkatesh Daggubati, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Shraddha Srinath, Ruhani Sharma, Andrea Jeremiah, and Arya in key roles.
Saindhav is set in the fictional port area of Chandraprastha and is reportedly inspired by a French thriller.
The action thriller is produced by Venkat Boyanapalli under the banner of Niharika Entertainment.
#Saindhav is made for everyone irrespective of age group ❤️🔥
Enjoy this NEW AGE EMOTIONAL ACTION FILM in theatres from JAN 13th💥#SaindhavOnJAN13th
Victory @VenkyMama #SsaraPalekar @KolanuSailesh @Nawazuddin_S @arya_offl @ShraddhaSrinath @iRuhaniSharma @andrea_jeremiah… pic.twitter.com/e42vSAsvE5
— Niharika Entertainment (@NiharikaEnt) January 8, 2024
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