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'Indians are the most accommodating people in the world'

'We go on to make a name for ourselves in the world, rise above the ordinary in the face of deprivation. The innate tendency to persevere is, I think, a great quality Indians possess.'

'We just need to find a way to weed out corruption completely, I believe most of our problems will be taken care of in the process,' says one of India's finest actors Nawazuddin Siddiqui, in our continuing series where well-known Indians speak about the India they love.

I think Indians are the most accommodating people in the whole world.

Their hospitality, warmth is unique and rare. I haven't seen anything like that anywhere else in the world.

As an Indian, I feel proud about the fact that we are capable of excelling even without facilities or proper resources.

We go on to make a name for ourselves in the world, rise above the ordinary in the face of deprivation. The innate tendency to persevere is, I think, a great quality Indians possess.

As I see it, corruption is the biggest malady our country is suffering from right now.

The extent to which corruption has seeped into our country is deeply saddening.

I'm really happy, like every other common man in the country at present, that Arvind Kejriwal and his Aam Aadmi Party have been given this opportunity to do something about it.

We need more such people to clean out the system. We need more young, talented and passionate people to join the movement.

I hope this unprecedented victory brings forth some positive changes in the country's administrative system because corruption is so deep-rooted in all the other political parties, that they are diverting the public's attention from real issues of development, economic growth, education to religion, communalism, casteism.

It's not right.

If we just need to find a way to weed out corruption completely, I believe most of our problems will be taken care of in the process.

For us to transform into an ideal nation, each one of us, as citizens, will have to practice self discipline; we'll need to be strict with ourselves.

We have been lulled into this lethargic state where we just go with whatever is happening around us. We need to re-evaluate our lives and values first on an individual level.

In my few travels abroad so far, I've become increasingly aware of the immense talent pool we have in our country in every field. But the fact that all this talent is only appreciated abroad is regrettable.

It is sad that young Indians go to the US or to the UK to put their skills to proper use and generate revenue for other people.

Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could appreciate and make use of all the talent in our own country?

Nawazuddin Siddiqui has acted in several acclaimed films like Peepli [Live], Kahani, Gangs of Wasseypur and Lunchbox. An alumnus of the National School of Drama, his forthcoming film Miss Lovely opens on January 17.

He spoke to Nishi Tiwari.

The complete series: Why I love India