Blank cheques, 200 scripts: Nawazuddin Siddiqui recalls Gangs of Wasseypur 2 impact

Nawazuddin Siddiqui has recalled that Gangs of Wasseypur 2 was the film that made him feel like a star for the first time, saying its release changed the kind of offers that came his way. The actor said that after the 2012 Anurag Kashyap film, he received around 200 scripts, with producers even placing blank cheques on his table and asking him to name his price.Even with that sudden rush of offers, Nawazuddin said he did not sign a film in haste. He said he turned down all the scripts because he did not find them strong enough and chose instead to wait for the right project, something he said he was prepared to do after spending years waiting for substantial work.When Nawazuddin Siddiqui was asked which film made him feel like a star, the actor told NDTV, “Of course, it has to be Gangs of Wasseypur 2.” He said the film changed the course of his career and transformed the kind of projects being offered to him.“After the release of Gangs of Wasseypur 2, I received at least 200 scripts. Blank cheques were lying on my table. People would say, ‘Here’s the script, and here’s a blank cheque. Write whatever amount you want and give us whatever dates are available,'” he continued. The actor said that despite being offered the freedom to decide his remuneration, he did not rush into his next project. “I didn’t pick up a single one of those scripts because I didn’t like any of them. I decided I would wait for the right one,” he said.Nawazuddin further said that he had already spent years waiting for work and was ready to wait longer rather than take up a film too quickly. The 52-year-old said, “I was already used to waiting for work for years, so I thought I could wait another two or three years rather than sign something in haste.” He added, “By God’s grace, I didn’t have to wait too long, because I soon started getting some really good films.”His recent remarks on paid negative PRIn another recent interview with Zoom, Nawazuddin spoke about paid negative PR and the climate around social media. Referring to the trend of actors allegedly engaging in paid negative PR against one another, he said, “This phase is at a full extreme.” He added, “Much more is left to be seen, and that too is going to happen in this phase only. So this is a strange world.”He went on to say, “I think this will remain for some time. After that, they say when bad times come, there are bad times for everything. For creativity, too, it is bad. Maybe after some years, a good time will come. People will start recognising the right things without any meaningless hatred.” He also said, “Where did their own education go? Where did their ability to understand go? Yes, if I give money to 10 people and tell them you are very good, then the eleventh one himself will say it. This is weird.”Nawazuddin said actors like him do not need such tactics because they have confidence in their craft and work.On the work front, he was recently seen in Raat Akeli Hai: The Bansal Murders, a sequel to the 2020 film Raat Akeli Hai, which also featured Radhika Apte, Deepti Naval, Rajat Kapoor, Revathi, Sanjay Kapoor and Ila Arun. He was also seen in Aditya Sarpotdar’s horror comedy Thamma, featuring Ayushmann Khurrana, Rashmika Mandanna and Paresh Rawal in key roles.The actor will be next seen in Tumbbad 2, alongside Sohum Shah and Alia Bhatt.- EndsPublished By: Priyanka SharmaPublished On: Sep 13, 2026 22:01 IST