Nawazuddin Siddiqui opens up on playing transgender in ‘Haddi’, says ‘I need to think like a woman’

"The female gaze is compassionate and sensational . I am deeply trying to understand that point of action," says Nawazuddin Siddiqui.

New Delhi: There is no surprise that the first look of actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui dressed as a from the upcoming film Haddi, a revenge drama directed by Akshat Ajay Sharma, has been trending . In an exclusive conversation with a leading portal  Nawaz said, “It’s just been a couple of days. We have started the shoot of Haddi I will be portraying two roles in the film — I play a woman and a transgender. These are two separate parts, it’s a double role. Akshat had this script and wanted to make the film for almost four years. Akshat has worked as a second unit director in AK VS AK and Sacred Games. I have known him since the time he has worked with Anurag Kashyap. Now we are finally making this venture possible.”

He further said, “If I am playing a female character, I need to think like a woman and that’s my test as an actor. 

Talking about getting dressed for the role, Nawazuddin shared, “It takes me three hours to get ready. Now I know why an actress may take longer than her male counterpart to get out of her vanity van. It’s absolutely justified”.

The talented actor however feels getting the look right is not sufficient for an impactful and meaningful performance. “Outfit, hair, make-up, yeh sab toh theek hai... that’s not my concern. There are experts to look into it and they know their job. My concern is to get the internal thought process right. What do women think? What do they want? An actor’s job is to get into the head of the character he plays. Your perception, outlook towards life as a woman is bound to be different and that is the most difficult part about Haddi for me. Ek aurat ke nazariyese duniya dekhni hogi. The film is not about costumes and gestures. The process is more internal and deep is what is my main concern I need to bring out to the audience.”

He also revealed, “I have worked with many renowned female directors and that helped him a great deal. I have realised that women look at the world differently. They are far more compassionate and they see beauty in everything. For most men, it’s often about power and control. That also reflects in our relationships. The female gaze is compassionate and sensational . I am deeply trying to understand that point of action."

The actor takes close to three hours daily to get his female look on point, hair, make-up and outfit. On this note, the actor shared, His daughter was very upset when she saw him dressed as a woman. She now knows that it’s for a role and she understands that. 

Meanwhile, on the work front, Nawaz has an interesting lineup of films which includes ‘Tiku Weds Sheru’, ‘Noorani Chehra’, and ‘Adbhut’ among others.