Hyderabad, Sept. 22 -- There was a time when Nawazuddin Siddiqui was not Nawazuddin Siddiqui, the actor that audiences know today. He was a young man from Budhana in Uttar Pradesh, studying chemistry, working odd jobs and slowly discovering that acting was something he could not stay away from.

His journey into acting was far from conventional. After completing his science studies, Nawazuddin was introduced to theatre and was so moved by the experience that he decided to pursue acting. He eventually joined the National School of Drama (NSD), where his understanding of cinema and performance expanded far beyond the films he had grown up watching in his small town. He has recalled that NSD introduced him to world cinema and actors he had n...