MUMBAI: Actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui, known for his unconventional roles and raw performances, has once again raised questions on how cinema perpetuates stereotypes around appearances and social class.
In a candid conversation with Rohan Dua, Executive Editor, The New Indian, Nawaz highlighted the tendency of films to judge characters based on how they look rather than their reality.
“We have a lot of apprehension about appearances. People who look like this are considered poor, and people who look like that are considered rich. Even in films, people who look rich are shown to be humble and fair. But in our country, the richest people in the world look like us — they look like Indians,” Nawaz said.
He stressed that Indian cinema often creates an artificial imagination of what wealth and poverty should look like, rather than reflecting the truth. Nawaz, who has often been typecast due to his earthy looks, added that real life doesn’t always align with reel portrayals.
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During the exchange, when asked if he himself felt poor, Nawaz humorously responded, “I am a very poor man, I don’t even have money to eat.” However, he quickly turned the remark into a critique of the industry’s obsession with surface-level appearances.
The actor’s statement resonates with his career choices, where he has broken barriers by playing diverse characters — from gangsters in Gangs of Wasseypur to complex roles in The Lunchbox and Manto — challenging Bollywood’s conventional definitions of a “hero.”
Nawaz’s take reflects a larger conversation in Indian cinema, where stereotypes around class, skin tone, and physical appearance continue to shape narratives. His comments remind audiences that the reel world’s imagination often fails to capture the authenticity of real India.
