Manto at Cannes: Nawazuddin Siddiqui looks forward to the screening at the fest

Nawazuddin Siddiqui will soon be accompanying his latest project’s director Nandita Das to the Cannes Film Festival to promote their upcoming movie. The movie, called Manto, is based on writer-playwright Saadat Hasan Manto’s life and will see the Gangs of Wasseypur (2012) actor playing Manto in the film.

Nawazuddin, who is currently shooting in Croatia for his international TV series, says he is pretty excited to join the film’s team at Cannes. He says, “I leave for Cannes on May 18, and the promo of Manto will be screened around May 20. I’m excited about going to Cannes, and it is a special moment for me. It’s a great festival, and some of the world’s best movies are screened there every year.”

Nawazuddin has been to Cannes several times for different projects, so he isn’t nervous about attending it again. The actor says he loves the atmosphere at the festival, as he gets to meet people from around the world and see a wide variety of films.

“It’s special every time. Every actor, big or small, is respected there. It’s an experience that every actor needs to be a part of at least once in their lives. The last time, there was too much attention on my clothes (chuckles). But this time, I’m there for a brief period, so I am yet to decide what to wear,” he says.

Critics have often described Nawazuddin as ‘versatile’, and that reflects in his choice of films as well. However, the actor is quick to point out that his directors also deserve equal credit. “It is a good time to experiment, and, of course, I don’t want to get stuck doing the same roles. If I won’t experiment, then who will? But I also have to say that I am a director’s actor. I will do all it takes to get into character. I always tell Nandita (Das) that she is ‘Lady Manto’, because if it weren’t for me, she could have easily played this part. The amount of research she has done for this project is commendable. I’m looking forward to the Cannes experience and how people are going to react to it”.