Writer-director Paritosh Painter has shared his experience of working with Nawazuddin Siddiqui and his daughter, Shora Siddiqui, in Naqaab. The play marks Nawazuddin's return to theatre after several years and also serves as Shora's stage debut.
Speaking about casting Nawazuddin, Painter admitted that convincing the actor to take up the project was one of his biggest challenges. "When I was meeting him, I knew I had only one chance. If he said no, it was over. He has done every kind of role as an actor, so the challenge was to bring something interesting and challenging to the table. I'm happy he liked what we narrated. He also contributed ideas, and we developed the play together. The challenge was how to excite a man who has done every kind of role, but he loved the script," he said.
"He wanted the feel of theatre"
Painter also revealed that Nawazuddin wanted to preserve the traditional experience of live theatre while staging Naqaab: "Nawaz bhai wanted the feel of theatre. He didn't want LED screens as the backdrop. He wanted an actual set," he shared.
Shora worked hard on her Hindi
Speaking about Shora Siddiqui's stage debut, Painter praised the effort she put into preparing for a Hindi-language play. "When we did the first reading, Shora was quite raw. She studied in an American school and later in London, so her command over English was good, but her Hindi was weak, and this is a full-fledged Hindi play. She put in a lot of effort and used to sit with my assistants to improve," he said.
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Painter also highlighted Nawazuddin's support for his daughter throughout rehearsals. According to him, although the actor had mastered the play after just a few readings, he continued attending rehearsals to help Shora become more confident. "Nawaz bhai didn't need to spend much time in rehearsals. After about 10 readings, he was ready. But he still put in the effort so Shora could catch up. He has done around 90 run-throughs of the play," Painter revealed.
Nawazuddin enjoys challenging himself
The director also spoke about Nawazuddin's approach to performing on stage, saying the actor enjoys pushing himself during every show. "We gave him a short break so he has time to go backstage, change and come back. I keep asking him, 'Do you need more time?' He says, 'No! I want to do it quickly and come back.' He loves challenges. They give him a great high," Painter said.
Naqaab recently opened in Chicago and is currently touring the United States. The production marks Nawazuddin Siddiqui's return to theatre while introducing Shora Siddiqui to audiences as a stage performer.
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