Anurag Kashyap recalls Nawazuddin Siddiqui was carrying Rajpal Yadav’s suitcase when he first met him at railway station; shares he had ‘no money for food’

Anurag Kashyap recalls Nawazuddin Siddiqui was carrying Rajpal Yadav's suitcase when he first met him at railway station; shares he had 'no money for food'

As an ardent fan of the enigmatic world of Bollywood, I find myself deeply moved by the captivating tales of struggle and success that unfold within its realm. One such tale that resonates profoundly with me is that of Anurag Kashyap and Nawazuddin Siddiqui – two extraordinary individuals who have left an indelible mark on Hindi cinema.


Anurag Kashyap, who initially collaborated as a co-writer on Ram Gopal Varma’s 1998 film, Satya, has become a well-known director in Bollywood cinema. Later, he penned the dialogues for Shool in 1999. Kashyap, who also worked as a casting director for Eeshwar Nivas’ movie, recently disclosed that Nawazuddin Siddiqui was helping Rajpal Yadav with his luggage when they first encountered each other at a train station. Kashyap remembered that Nawazuddin was struggling financially, having no money for food at the time.

In a recent conversation on YouTube with Rkz Theater, Anurag Kashyap recalled that Nawazuddin Siddiqui was tagging along with Rajpal Yadav at a train station when the latter was departing from Mumbai. Kashyap mentioned that during this period, Rajpal was struggling and had lost hope. It was Ashraf Ulhaq, who played in Black Friday, who suggested him to me. The director went on to say that he encountered both Rajpal and Nawazuddin at the train station, with the latter carrying his luggage.

Reflecting on my past, I recall providing Rajpal Yadav a minor role as a laborer in the movie “Shool,” which turned out to be his grand entrance into Hindi cinema. Looking back at our encounter with Nawazuddin Siddiqui, I remember he humbly asked for a part after Rajpal was cast in the 1999 film.

In a given scenario, Kashyap disclosed that Nawaz, who played a character as a waiter alongside Manoj Bajpayee and Raveena Tandon, stated he had no funds for food and would resort to any means necessary due to his dire situation. Notably, in this scene, Nawaz appeared extremely thin.

Ram Gopal Varma wrote and produced Eeshwar Nivas’ directorial venture Shool. Manoj played the role of an honest police inspector Samar Pratap Singh. Raveena was cast as his wife, Manjari Pratap Singh. Actor Sayaji Shinde played the antagonist role of Bacchu Yadav.

Following a series of minor roles in films such as Munna Bhai MBBS, Black Friday, Jungle, Shool, and Safarosh, Nawazuddin Siddiqui experienced his major breakthrough in Anurag Kashyap’s Gangs of Wasseypur. In the sequel, he portrayed the significant character of Faizal Khan.

Apart from these films – Bajrangi Bhaijaan, Kick, Manto, Raees, Badlapur, The Lunchbox, among others – Nawazuddin Siddiqui has also lent his talent to the industry. Recently, he was featured in the horror film Adbhut last month.

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2024-09-28 19:52