Chitrangada Satarupa opens up about bullying Nawazuddin Siddiqui in 'Main Actor Nahin Hoon': 'I feared he must be hating me'

Chitrangada Satarupa is gearing up for the theatrical release of 'Main Actor Nahin Hoon', where she stars opposite Nawazuddin Siddiqui. The actor said the film gave her a chance to work with one of her favorite performers, but the script soon became the bigger draw. She also opened up about feeling awkward playing a harsh character who bullies Nawazuddin’s character over video calls, and criticized the industry’s growing fixation on Instagram followers during casting.

Chitrangada Satarupa on 'Main Actor Nahin Hoon' and Nawazuddin Siddiqui

In an interview with Bollywood Hungama, Chitrangada said that director Aditya Kripalani first approached her to play the female lead two years ago. She had worked with him earlier in his first film, 'Tikli And Laxmi Bomb', but he still asked her to audition. She recalled asking him, “I have worked with you so many times; still, I need to audition?”





Chitrangada said Aditya sent the full script, which helped her better understand the character. “Initially, I was excited about the film as it was going to give me a chance to work with Nawazuddin Siddiqui. But after reading the script, that reason became secondary,” she said.




The film was shot across Mumbai and Frankfurt, with Chitrangada in Mumbai and Nawazuddin in Germany. She said both units coordinated action calls and time zones, making the process feel like theater.




Calling Nawazuddin “an absolute genius,” she said his minimal performance pushed her to bring out the nastiness in her role. “I was a little awkward about it. He’s been my most favourite actor,” she said. “Over the call, I am not just being nasty but even bullying him.” She added, “I feared, ‘Nawaz sir must be hating me because he must be thinking that this is how I am in real life too’.”

Chitrangada Satarupa on Instagram follower-based casting

Chitrangada also spoke about casting based on social media reach. She said actors are often asked to share their Instagram profiles during auditions. “It is true, unfortunately, though not for all projects,” she said.




She criticized the practice and added, “Casting someone based on the followers is a little lame because people are following you for your GRWM videos or such other content. They are not going to go and watch your show or film because that audience is very different.”




Chitrangada said 'Main Actor Nahin Hoon' deals with acting, human relationships, mental health, and loneliness. She called its theatrical release rare for a film of this kind today, comparing it with films like 'The Lunchbox'.Get the latest entertainment updates from the Times of India, along with the latest Hindi movies, upcoming Hindi movies in 2026 , and Telugu movies.”