'IT IS ONLY WHEN LOVE DIES THAT YOU START BLAMING THE OTHER'

An interview with Nawazuddin Siddiqui is never just a question-and-answer session. It’s a discussion, sometimes prosaic, sometimes profound, sometimes philosophical.

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This is an actor who even after 25 years is passionate about his craft. This is a man who even when dreams come apart, refused to admit defeat.

“It’s best to hold on to the hope that something beautiful could be waiting for you at the next turn.”

The title of your next film Jogira Sara Ra Ra is associated with Holi revelry. What are your memories of the festival?

I have some really fond memories of Holi in my village of Budhna.

Also, at the NSD (National Institute of Drama) in Delhi.

(Chuckles) The day would pass by in a bhang haze without any of us even realising it.

Go on, tell us more...

Well, there was always this one person among us at the institute who would steer clear of the bhang temptation and remain stone cold sober.

He was our undisputed leader for the day and we would all follow him.

If he went around in circles, we would too.

Sometimes he would walk to the RTO chauraha, which was around two-three kilometres away, with us trailing behind him in a single file.

There we would eat parathas, then follow him to some other place, without any questions, since we were in no state to ask them.

Eventually, we would all collapse, koi idhar, koi udhar, completely unaware of our surroundings, till he herded us back to our rooms.

Stardom has brought you far away from that world. At times, don’t you wish you could go back to those carefree days?

Yes, sometimes I do feel that life was so much better them.