Nawazuddin Siddiqui

Early life

Siddiqui was born on 19 May 1974 in Budhana, a small town in Muzaffarnagar district, Uttar Pradesh, India, into a zamindari Muslim family of Lambardars. He is the eldest of eight siblings. He spent most of his youth in Uttarakhand.

He graduated with a Bachelor of Science in chemistry from Gurukul Kangri University in Haridwar. Following this, he worked as a chemist in Vadodara for a year, before leaving for Delhi in search of a new job. Once in Delhi, he was instantly drawn to acting after watching a play. In pursuit of securing admission to the National School of Drama (NSD) in New Delhi, he acted in over ten plays with a group of friends, including one in Dehradun, to fulfill one of the criteria for admission.

Career

1999–2012: Early work and recognition

Siddiqui went to the National School of Drama in New Delhi. After graduating in 1999, he moved to Mumbai.

He made his Bollywood debut in the year 1999 with a small role in the Aamir Khan starrer Sarfarosh. He then appeared in Ram Gopal Varma's 1999 film Shool and the 2000 film Jungle, as well as Rajkumar Hirani's Munnabhai MBBS (2003). After moving to Mumbai, he tried to get work in television serials but did not achieve much success. He did a short film, The Bypass, in 2003, where he appeared with Irrfan Khan. Beyond that, between 2002 and 2005, he was largely out of work and lived in a flat that he shared with four other people, surviving by conducting occasional acting workshops. In 2004, which was one of the worst years of his struggle, Siddiqui couldn't pay rent. He asked an NSD senior if he could stay with him. The senior allowed him to share his apartment in Goregaon suburb if he was willing to cook meals for him.

Between 2004 and 2007, Siddiqui had a few minor roles, including in the film Black Friday, which came out in 2007 and was a nominee for the Golden Leopard. In 2009, he appeared in a cameo role in the song "Emotional Atyachar" in the movie Dev D, playing the role of Rangila. He performed a duet with Rasila (known together as Patna ke Presley). In the same year, he appeared in New York. However, it was his role of a journalist in Anusha Rizvi's 2010 film Peepli Live, that first got him wide recognition as an actor. In 2012, he appeared in Prashant Bhargava's Patang: The Kite, which premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival and the Tribeca Film Festival. Siddiqui's performance was praised by film critic Roger Ebert, who stated that the role "transformed his acting style" and he awarded the actor the 'Thumbsup Trophy'. The film was subsequently released in the U.S. and Canada and garnered much attention, with rave reviews from The New York Times.

2012–present: Mainstream success

Siddiqui then appeared in the 2012 film Kahaani, in which he played the archetypal short-tempered intelligence officer Khan. Anurag Kashyap's gangster epic Gangs of Wasseypur followed, which furthered the actor's fame. He played his first primary role as Sonu Duggal in Ashim Ahluwalia's Miss Lovely, which premiered at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival, a role Siddiqui describes as his "most real performance so far". Siddiqui then followed this with the sequel to Gangs of Wasseypur. In 2013, he played the lead role in the horror flick Aatma. The Lunchbox premiered as part of the Critics' Week section at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival and won him multiple awards. He appeared in Aamir Khan's 2012 release Talaash. He received the Special Jury Award at the 2012 National Film Awards and the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor in 2013 for The Lunchbox. In 2014, he played the lead antagonist Shiv Gajra in the blockbuster Kick.

In 2015, Siddiqui's films Bajrangi Bhaijaan and Manjhi – The Mountain Man were released, and he was praised for his roles. His work in Raman Raghav 2.0 in 2016 won him the Fancine Malaga Award in Spain and in the Asia Pacific Screen Awards, both in the category of Best Actor. The 2018 film Manto, based on the life of Urdu author Saadat Hasan Manto, won him Best Actor at the 2018 Asia Pacific Screen Awards.

In 2018, Siddiqui starred alongside Saif Ali Khan in Netflix's first original Indian series, Sacred Games, based on Vikram Chandra's novel of the same name.

In 2021, he was seen in the American-Bangladeshi-Indian film No Land's Man.

In 2022, Siddiqui appeared in Heropanti 2.

In 2023, he starred in Afwaah alongside Bhumi Pednekar, in Jogira Sara Ra Ra opposite Neha Sharma, and in Kangana Ranaut's Tiku Weds Sheru, opposite Avneet Kaur.

In 2025, he starred in the Maddock Films production Thamma, alongside Ayushmann Khurrana, Rashmika Mandanna, and Paresh Rawal. He later reprised his role as Inspector Jatil Yadav in the crime thriller Raat Akeli Hai: The Bansal Murders, a sequel to 2020's Raat Akeli Hai. The film, directed by Honey Trehan and written by Smita Singh, premiered at the 56th International Film Festival of India in Goa before its global release by Netflix on 19 December 2025.

Personal life

Siddiqui has been married twice. In his youth, he dated a woman named Anjali, who grew up in the same village as he; the couple broke up in 2009. In 2010 or 2011, he married a woman named Sheeba. By 2012, he was dating an American woman named Suzanne. He also had a brief relationship with Niharika Singh, a former Miss India, with whom he co-starred in two films.

Siddiqui eventually reconnected with Anjali, and the couple married and had two children, a daughter and a son. At this point, Anjali took the name Aaliya Siddiqui. In May 2020, Aaliya announced on social media that she was seeking a divorce from Nawazuddin.

Siddiqui lives in Mumbai with his younger brother, Shamas Nawab, a film director. When not busy acting, he likes to spend time in his hometown of Budhana, where he owns a farm. In a May 2021 interview, he said that he spends most of his time there.

Filmography

Main article: Nawazuddin Siddiqui filmography

Accolades

Main article: List of awards and nominations received by Nawazuddin Siddiqui

Siddiqui's first lead role in a feature film was in Prashant Bhargava's Patang, which premiered at the Berlin Film Festival, in which his performance has been praised by film critic Roger Ebert (awarding the film 4/4 stars), who stated that the role "transformed his acting style".

Siddiqui was awarded the Special Jury Award at the 60th National Film Awards 2012 for his work in the films Kahaani, Gangs of Wasseypur, Dekh Indian Circus, and Talaash.

References

References

1. (27 February 2024). "Nawazuddin Siddiqui's wife Aaliya says they are back together for the sake of their children: 'No option of being apart in life now'".
2. (28 March 2024). "Nawazuddin Siddiqui and wife Aaliya Siddiqui back together after bitter separation row".
3. (24 August 2015). "Guftagoo with Nawazuddin Siddiqui". [[Sansad TV]].
4. PTI (24 April 2017) [http://www.huffingtonpost.in/2017/04/24/watch-nawazuddin-siddiqui-explains-that-he-isnt-just-a-muslim_a_22052880/ Watch: Nawazuddin Siddiqui Explains That He Isn't Just a Muslim, But a Bit of All Religions] ''HuffPost''. Retrieved 24 April 2017.
5. (12 September 2015). "Nawazuddin Siddiqui seen farming while on family vacation in UP".
6. IANS. (23 June 2025). "Nawazuddin Shares Throwback Pic with Anurag Kashyap to Celebrate Wasseypur Legacy".
7. (29 November 2018). "Manto director Nandita Das honoured at Asia Pacific Screen Awards; Nawazuddin Siddiqui named Best Actor".
8. (28 September 2018). "GQ Men of the Year Awards 2018: Nawazuddin Siddiqui wins Actor of the Year, Saif Ali Khan is style legend".
9. Ram, Sharmila Ganesan. (22 October 2017). "In Bollywood, the heroine is still a prop and the hero must dance and shoot people: Nawazuddin Siddiqui". The Times of India.
10. (2 August 2015). "I've struggled for over 15 years, hope is what saw me through: Nawazuddin Siddiqui". [[The Indian Express]].
11. (July 2012). "Nawazuddin Siddiqui:The ordinary star". [[Tehelka]].
12. "Acting in Town Hall, star gazing in Maldevta: What makes Doon so special for Nawazuddin Siddiqui?".
13. (22 June 2013). "Actor Nawazuddin's family caught in Uttarakhand weather havoc".
14. Bari, Nishat. (15 September 2012). "Rural Rockstars: Nawazuddin Siddiqui carved his own space in Bollywood through his unique roles".
15. (4 November 2012). "Bollywood diaries! Nawazuddin Siddiqui's journey from a watchman to darling of crossover cinema".
16. "'I learnt a long time ago to not let how I look affect me' — Nawazuddin Siddiqui". The Telegraph.
17. (1 August 2012). "Aamir recommended me for 'Talaash': Nawazuddin".
18. (15 March 2012). "Nawazuddin Siddiqui on a roll". [[The Times of India]].
19. (25 August 2022). "Irrfan Khan and Nawazuddin Siddiqui starrer The Bypass to be screened at the Bandra Film Festival".
20. (27 May 2012). "My family counts only the Khans as actors". [[The Indian Express]].
21. Sinha, Chinki. (21 September 2012). "Now Starring: Nawazuddin Siddiqui". openthemagazine.
22. [http://ibnlive.in.com/generalnewsfeed/news/wont-do-second-lead-anymore-nawazuddin-siddiqui/976698.html Won't do second lead anymore: Nawazuddin Siddiqui] {{Webarchive. link. (25 March 2012 CNN-IBN, 18 March 2012.)
23. (14 June 2012). "The Old Neighborhood, in India: 'Patang' ('The Kite'), Directed by Prashant Bhargava". [[The New York Times]].
24. (11 July 2012). "Aamir Khan has no airs about himself: Nawazuddin Siddiqui". Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd..
25. Verma, Anupam Kant. (4 May 2012). "Cheap, yet lovely". [[Mint (newspaper).
26. "2012 Official Selection". Cannes.
27. (19 April 2012). "Miss Lovely is India's entry at Cannes". Hindustan Times.
28. Khan, Taran N.. (31 July 2012). "The late but unstoppable rise of Nawazuddin Siddiqui".
29. "Gangs of Wasseypur – Part II trending on Twitter".
30. Sen, Zinia. (20 March 2013). "I was a rejected actor: Nawazuddin Siddiqui". [[The Times of India]].
31. Bhatia, Vivek. (5 July 2012). "Art cinema has a new hero".
32. Hebbar, Prajakta. (26 July 2014). "Why Nawazuddin Siddiqui is the perfect nemesis for Salman Khan in 'Kick'". [[News18]].
33. "Fancine Awards".
34. (25 October 2016). "Anurag Kashyap's Raman Raghav 2.0 gets 3 Asia Pacific Screen Awards nominations".
35. (6 July 2018). "Sacred Games Star Cast – Who Plays Whom in Sacred Games on Netflix?".
36. (11 June 2020). "A.R. Rahman on board Nawazuddin Siddiqui's international film 'No Land's Man'". The Hindu.
37. (29 May 2021). "Nawazuddin Siddiqui joins the cast of Tiger Shroff starrer Heropanti 2".
38. (10 August 2020). "Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Neha Sharma to star in rom-com 'Jogira Sara Ra Ra'".
39. (8 November 2021). "First Look: Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Avneet Kaur are dressed in traditional outfits in Tiku Weds Sheru". Bollywood Hungama.
40. "Ayushmann Khurrana Kickstarts 2025 with His Next Film Thama".
41. "Art cinema has a new hero".
42. "Netflix's 'Raat Akeli Hai: The Bansal Murders' Marks a Grand World Premiere at IFFI Ahead of Its Global Release on 19th December".
43. "Raat Akeli Hai: The Bansal Murders premieres at IFFI ahead of Netflix release on December 19".
44. "Raat Akeli Hai 2 teaser: Nawazuddin Siddiqui vows to crack twisted family murder case".
45. Spencer, Samuel. (16 August 2019). "Nawazuddin Siddiqui wife: Who is Sacred Games Gaitonde star married to?". [[Daily Express]].
46. (19 May 2015). "Nawazuddin Siddiqui blessed with baby boy on his 41st birthday".
47. Panchal, Komal RJ. (19 May 2010). "Nawazuddin Siddiqui's wife Aalia Siddiqui seeks divorce, sends legal notice to actor". The Indian Express.
48. Mankermi, Shivani. (22 May 2010). ""She has suffered a lot," Nawazuddin Siddiqui's wife Aaliya's lawyer opens up on her legal notice for divorce". The Times of India.
49. (18 June 2013). "Nawazuddin Siddiqui backs his brother". HT Media Limited.
50. (6 August 2018). "Nawazuddin to Buy a Plot in Maharashtra for Farming, Aims to Educate Farmers on New Techniques".
51. Mankermi, Shivani. (3 May 2021). "Nawazuddin Siddiqui: I have returned to Budhana to be with my mother and family".
52. (13 June 2012). "Patang Movie Review & Film Summary (2012)". Chicago Sun-Times.
53. (13 June 2012). ""Working on Patang has had an enormous impact on every role I have done since" – Nawazuddin Siddiqui -".
54. "List of Awards Announced in various categories for the 60th National Film Awards". Press Information Bureau (PIB), India.