The Real Mountain Man

Nawazuddin Siddiqui is truly an antithesis of a Bollywood hero. It’s not just his appearance that lets you decide his fate but his background of coming from a poor family from aUP village. It took him 14years to get recognized in Bollywood.

The rags-to-riches story of Siddiqui is soon coming out in the form of a book. At the recent Spring Fever 2016 by Random House, he spoke about his struggles. Entrepreneur features a few learnings he has to offer.

Giving up is not an option

When asked after all struggles and disappointments why he didn’t go back, Siddiqui answers, “This fear ensured that I never returned. The struggle is for everyone. Even star kids have to struggle. Their dads can make just one movie for them.”

Persistence pays

He went through a lot of struggles before he got the opportunity to prove his mettle in Gangs of Wasseypur. From a village to Bollywood was not an easy road. Success eluded him for many years but itwas his persistence that actually paid off. Lessonlearnt: keep knocking the door until you get an answer.

Pursue your dreams

His life has all been about pursuing your dreams relentlessly. “I never wanted to prove anything to anyone. I worked very hard – more than any other actor. I was happy to do even one. I wasn’t aiming to become a star I wanted to be honest with the scene,” he says.

This article first appeared in the Indian edition of Entrepreneur magazine (April 2016 Issue).