Renowned actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui recently described himself as the "ugliest" actor in Hindi cinema, reflecting on the harsh criticism he has faced regarding his looks.
In an interview with News18, Siddiqui shared the impact of negative comments on his self-esteem, stating, "I don’t know why some people hate the way I look. Maybe it is because I’m just that ugly. Even I feel it when I look at myself in the mirror. I question why I came into the film industry with such bad looks."
Nawazuddin admitted that the constant negative feedback has affected his perception of himself. "I have been hearing it for so long that I’ve started to believe it. I have no complaints about the film industry," he said.
Despite the criticism, Siddiqui expressed gratitude towards the filmmakers who have believed in his talent. "I want to thank all the directors who have given me a variety of characters. Agar aapke andar thoda saa bhi talent hai toh industry bohot kuch deti hai. Society mein discrimination hai, industry mein nahin (If you have even a bit of talent, the industry offers you a lot. There’s discrimination in society, but not in the industry)," he added.
Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap also recently spoke about the discrimination based on physical appearance in the film industry. In a conversation with Janice Sequeira, Kashyap remarked, "This industry doesn’t respect people. They think that Nawazuddin is dark-skinned, Pankaj Tripathi is normal, Manoj Bajpayee is a ‘gaonwala’... That’s how they view people."
Currently, Nawazuddin Siddiqui stars in the Zee5 film "Rautu Ka Raaz," a crime mystery drama set in a small village in Uttarakhand. Despite the challenges he has faced, his talent continues to shine through, earning him critical acclaim and a diverse array of roles in the film industry.