Nawazuddin Siddiqui has opened up about the reality of film promotions and the contrast between on-screen truth and off-screen illusions. Siddiqui shared how film marketing is often misleading and his approach to acting.
Siddiqui said to promote films, exaggeration, and embellishing are a must even if, as an actor, he would have thought it would not be up to mark. “Yes you gotta do it,” Siddiqui said, adding he tries to remain true during the acting of a character in front of the camera. “When I am playing a character in front of the camera, I know I must stay true. I act like I’m being sincere, telling people ‘This movie is great.’ You know, the way they promote products,” he says. Sometimes, Siddiqui notes, some promotional tools blur the line between reality and promotion.
But Siddiqui sees the camera as a unique opportunity to tell the truth about his characters. “In front of the camera, I feel I have the chance to express the truth about my character. Nothing can be more beautiful than that. In real life, you don’t get such chances.” He said, “This is what an actor wants: ‘Give me a role, where I am completely free to reveal the truth of my character,’ which in another case, you might not get.“
But when the camera stops rolling, Siddiqui admits actors have to live another reality. “Then I also come to the world of lies,” he confessed. According to Siddiqui, sometimes the lies presented by way of propagandizing a character clash with the truth of the character itself, and this makes people critical. “Yes, it happens. Then one more lie is added on top of that,” he said.
On a personal note, Siddiqui opened up about his solitary lifestyle and how it works in his creative process. “I like that,” he said, describing how alone time fuels his artistic endeavors. “When I think alone, I like it. I get thoughts and characters in my mind. I play music, travel on that music, and develop characters. It feels good to be alone.“
Siddiqui said that adversities of life often heighten an artist’s work. “Of course, your art form takes on new dimensions. Pain pushes you. An artist uses his experiences it in painting, dance, singing, or acting. This is a fact,” he said, adding, “So your work becomes more real, and that’s the only time your work becomes very powerful.”.
Going forward, Siddiqui is all geared up for an upcoming music video called “Saiyaan Ki Bandook.” It is his second outing with Jaani after the superhit music video “Baarish Ki Jaaye.” The video will be released on September 6, 2024.
Siddiqui talks about film promotions, his process of acting, and the personal quotient of his creativity.
ANI