'Watching these actors is like a masterclass.'
'All that I've done so far pales in comparison.'
Nawazuddin Siddiqui's life has changed after the lockdown.
"I am completely alone in my home in Mumbai," he tells Subhash K Jha.
"My wife left with my two children for her maike (parents's home) in Jabalpur a few days before the lockdown," Nawaz says.
"I am used to being alone. I stayed by myself for 18 years in Mumbai when I was trying to get work. I do my own cooking -- nothing fancy just basic meals -- washing, cleaning..."
"Believe me," he adds, "it is very calming. Do I miss company? Not at all! I am glad to be alone. I am getting to know myself better."
"I've always watched a lot of work films by my favourite actors like Marlon Brando and Dilip Kumar," he says.
"But now, I am binging on the films of eight actors -- Anthony Hopkins, Daniel Day-Lewis, Ricardo Darin, Tony Leung, Denzel Washington, Morgan Freeman, Kevin Spacey and Matthew McConaughey," he adds.
"Every day I am learning something new from each of these actors. At the moment, my favourite actor is the Argentinian Ricardo Darin. I strongly recommend his film The Secret In Their Eyes to see what outstanding acting is. Darin is on another level."
Nawaz feels the change in him.
"Watching these actors is like a masterclass to me," he says. "I feel all that I've done so far pales in comparison. In India, we are still making formula films. After the lockdown, when I return to work, I will be searching for a new level of satisfaction as an actor. It's a challenge and I hope I'm up to it."
Nawaz, who was last seen giving a brilliant performance in the short film Bebaak, says life after the pandemic will change radically.
"The way people behave, the food they crave, the films they enjoy... will all be different. We are entering into a new phase of civilisation where hopefully, there will be more room for compassion even as physical contact will lessen."
