New Delhi: Nawazuddin Siddiqui is returning to theatre, where he began his acting career, after 25 years away from the stage. Siddiqui will star in Naqaab, written and directed by Paritosh Painter.
Siddiqui’s daughter, Shora, will act alongside her father.
Naqaab is said to be a gripping comedy-thriller filled with suspense. The story explores the masks people wear to hide their true intentions depending on the situation.
Siddiqui graduated from Delhi’s National School of Drama in 1999 before moving to Mumbai, the city of dreams. He made his acting debut the same year with a small role in Sarfarosh, directed by John Matthew Matthan. The same year, Ram Gopal Varma gave him a small role in Shool. He went on to star in films such as Jungle (2000) and Munna Bhai M.B.B.S. (2003).
Although his screen time in his early movies was minimal and did not establish him as an actor, Siddiqui continued working and later landed a short film with Irrfan Khan. After years of struggling, he played a journalist in Anusha Rizvi’s Peepli Live (2010), earning his first major recognition. Then, Anurag Kashyap’s Gangs of Wasseypur (2012) changed his career trajectory and established Siddiqui as one of the most critically acclaimed Indian actors of modern cinema.
Siddiqui, sharing his love for theatre, said it is where he discovered himself as an actor.
“It taught me honesty, patience, and the courage to stand in front of an audience with nothing but your craft. Returning to the stage feels like coming home. I can’t wait to experience the magic of live theatre with everyone once again,” he said in a press note, according to ANI.
Siddiqui said sharing the stage with his daughter for the first time makes this play even more emotional.
“As a father, there couldn’t be a prouder moment. I only hope the audience embraces her with the same love and generosity they have always shown me,” he added.
Paritosh Painter has worked in the film industry for nearly two decades. He started his career by writing films such as Dhamaal (2007), its sequel, Total Dhamaal (2019), and has also written the screenplay for the upcoming Dhamaal 4 (2026). In 2009, he directed Paying Guests, wrote All The Best (2009), and several other films. In the theatre circuit, he is known for writing and producing See No Evil, Hear No Evil, Speak No Evil, Get Rid of My Wife, and I Am The Best.
(Edited by Insha Jalil Waziri)