Five firecracker statements about Bollywood by Nawazuddin Siddiqui

Nawazuddin Siddiqui has now made a name for himself in films but his long road to success sure wasn’t a cakewalk. Always driven by his passion for acting, he recently quit OTT platforms claiming that the digital space which was once creative, has now become a racket for big production houses. However, this is not the only time that the actor has hit headlines with his bold statements. In case you didn’t know, here's the breakdown of times when Nawaz won hearts by voicing his opinion...

Nawazuddin Siddiqui who has quite a few hit OTT shows to his credit recently quit the platform altogether. In an interview with Bollywood Hungama, he called online platforms a ‘dumping ground for redundant shows’ and said, “It’s become ‘dhanda’ (Hindi for racket) for big production houses and actors. Major film producers in Bollywood have cut lucrative deals with all the big players in the OTT field. Producers get whopping amounts to create unlimited content. When I can’t bear to watch them how can I bear to be in them?”

The nepotism debate has been raging on in Bollywood since a long time, and the actor, too, had once opened up about his career in terms of the insider-outsider struggle. Talking about real talent, he said, “I don’t think nepotism exists in Bollywood, otherwise, I could not have been in this position today. Good work and talent may take the time to get recognised, but always earns respect”.

Last year during the global Covid-19 outbreak, Nawazuddin slammed Bollywood celebs who posted pictures of themselves holidaying in the Maldives. During a conversation with Spotboye, he said, “These entertainment celebrities posting vacation pictures at a time when the world is reeling under the worst recession. …Logon ke pass khana nahin hai aur aap paise phenk rahe ho. Kuch toh sharm karo (People don't have food and you are throwing away your money. Have some shame). Perhaps going on holiday is not so wrong as showing off about it?”

Slamming unrealistic beauty standards set by the industry, he had once tweeted, “Thank U 4 making me realise that I cannot b paired along wid d fair & handsome bcz I m dark & not good looking, but I never focus on that”.

When asked if Bollywood needs a reality check, Nawaz told Hindustan Times, “Too much of reality becomes boring. What Bollywood needs is truth. It invests in fakeness. Crores are spent on dance sequences. A hero is shown running after girls. Ladki-baazi is his chief job”. He also believes that the name of the industry should be changed.