Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s intense portrayal of Faisal Khan in Gangs of Wasseypur is one of his most iconic performances. But in a recent chat, the actor shared a funny and revealing behind-the-scenes moment from his first day on set, he was channelling legendary Hollywood actor Al Pacino, and director Anurag Kashyap was not impressed.
‘I Went on the First Day Acting Like Al Pacino’
Speaking about his early days on the Wasseypur set, Nawazuddin said, “I went on the first day acting like Al Pacino. I had thought about emulating him beforehand. Thoda bhootchaaya hua tha. I used to have phases, Robert De Niro for three months, Al Pacino for three months, and Brando.”
He confessed that he tried to bring Pacino’s style into his performance, believing it would make his character look more powerful. However, director Anurag Kashyap immediately sensed the forced effort. “He said, ‘Bewakuf hai kya tu? Don’t do that, you will become stiff and stuck at one place,’” Nawaz recalled.
‘Don’t Do Anything, Be Normal’
The actor said Anurag Kashyap visited him that night and gave him direct feedback. “Anurag came to my room at night and asked what am I up to. He said you are being very stiff, Al Pacino type. I told him that I wanted to show my power,” said Nawazuddin.
Anurag, known for his grounded storytelling, reminded the actor that power doesn’t need to be forced. “Anurag said that vo mera kaam hai, main tere peeche 6 foot ke log khadekardunga, apne aap powerful lagega. Don’t do anything, be normal. I couldn’t sleep the whole night. I felt that he was right,” the actor said honestly.
The next day, Nawazuddin let go of the mimicry and chose to act as himself. “The very next day, I went and forgot everything. Bhaad mein jaaye, main Nawaz hu, main jaisa dikhta hu vaisa hi jaakar karunga.”
Gangs of Wasseypur went on to become a cult classic and was both a critical and commercial success. The film featured a stellar ensemble cast including Manoj Bajpayee, Huma Qureshi, Richa Chadha, Pankaj Tripathi and Jaideep Ahlawat.
