Cannes 2022: Nawazuddin Siddiqui reflects on representing India at ‘Mecca of Cinema’

Actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui is gearing up for the digital premiere of his next project Tiku Weds Sheru. The film will soon premiere on the streaming platform Prime Video, this year. As the actor is currently representing India at the Cannes Film Festival 2022, he opened up about how he spent four or five of his birthdays at the festival while calling Cannes the ‘mecca of cinema.’

Cannes Film Festival 2022 is all set to take place between May 17 to May 28 in France. This year, the excitement of the festival is going through the roof considering the heavy presence and representation of India at the event.

Nawazuddin Siddiqui talks about representing India at Cannes

According to Hindustan Times, as Nawazuddin Siddiqui is set to celebrate his birthday on 19 May at the Cannes 2022, he talked about how special it was to represent India internationally. Adding to it, he also mentioned how he has been spending four to five of his birthdays at Cannes 2022. “Representing India is always special. Be it on my birthday or any other day. I have spent five-six of my birthdays at Cannes as it’s been held around the same time every year. I am not a person who celebrates birthdays as such. It’s just like a normal day,” he said. 

Furthermore, he went down memory lane and revealed how his earliest memory of the festival was when his two films, Gangs of Wasseypur and Miss Lovely, were featured in the festival in 2012. Referring to Cannes as the mecca of cinema, he added how everyone talks about good cinema and nothing about the box office collection. He said, “I had never thought this much before that I will go to Cannes one day when I had started off. It’s the mecca of cinema, vahana chaaron taraf ache cinema ki baat hoti hai, box office collection ki baat nahi hoti. Hum jo collection ki baatein kar kar ke cinema dekh rahe hain na aaj kal? Vahaan uski baat nahi hoti.” 

Moreover, Nawazuddin Siddiqui also reflected on how some Bollywood films don't get recognition in the country despite garnering appreciation internationally. While stating an example for the same, he revealed that his film named No Land’s Man was going to the Sydney Film festival and yet no OTT platform was ready to feature it. “It’s such a fast, beautiful film. Cinema mein release karna toh door ki baat hai. I feel so disheartened,” he added. 

Meanwhile, the actor's performance in the latest release Heropanti 2 is being hailed by fans all over. The actor is seen playing the role of gangster Laila in the action drama. Apart from Nawazuddin Siddiqui, the film also stars Tiger Shroff and Tara Sutaria in the lead. Heropanti 2 shows Tiger Shroff and Nawazuddin Siddiqui locking horns with each other. The latest release is a heavy dose of action, thrill, romance, and entertainment and is running successfully in theatres since April 29, 2022.

Image: Instagram/@nawazuddin._siddiqui