- Age
- 52 yrs
- Birthday in 203 days
- Works listed
- 7
- Film, Web series
- Honours
- 1
- Most recent 2013
- Profile views
- 1
- 0 followers
Nawazuddin Siddiqui is a Hindi film actor who spent more than a decade in small roles before breaking through in 2012 with Kahaani and Gangs of Wasseypur. Known for intense, naturalistic performances, he became internationally known as gangster Ganesh Gaitonde in Netflix’s Sacred Games.
Biography
From a small town
Nawazuddin grew up in a farming family in Budhana, Uttar Pradesh. He graduated in chemistry and worked briefly as a chemist in Vadodara before turning to theatre in Delhi and graduating from the National School of Drama in 1996.
Years of struggle
Moving to Mumbai, he spent years in tiny roles — a suspected thief in Munna Bhai M.B.B.S., an informer in Sarfarosh (1999) — and worked as a watchman to pay rent. Small but noticeable parts in Black Friday, New York and Peepli Live kept him going.
Breakthrough
In 2012 he appeared in Kahaani, Talaash, Dekh Indian Circus and Anurag Kashyap’s Gangs of Wasseypur, playing the gangster Faizal Khan; together they won him a National Film Award (Special Jury Award). He went on to The Lunchbox (2013), with Irrfan Khan, Badlapur, Bajrangi Bhaijaan, Manjhi – The Mountain Man (2015) and Raman Raghav 2.0 (2016).
Streaming and acclaim
As Ganesh Gaitonde in Sacred Games (2018–2019), Netflix’s first Indian original series, he reached a global audience. He played the writer Saadat Hasan Manto in Manto (2018) and Bal Thackeray in Thackeray (2019). Several of his films have premiered at the Cannes Film Festival.
Timeline
-
1974
Born in Budhana, Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh
-
1996
Graduates from the National School of Drama
-
1999
Small role in Sarfarosh
-
2012
Kahaani and Gangs of Wasseypur
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2013
The Lunchbox
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2015
Manjhi – The Mountain Man
-
2018
Sacred Games and Manto
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2019
Thackeray
Notable works
-
2012
Gangs of Wasseypur Film
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2012
Kahaani Film
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2013
The Lunchbox Film
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2015
Manjhi – The Mountain Man Film
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2016
Raman Raghav 2.0 Film
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2018
Sacred Games Web series
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2018
Manto Film
Awards and honours
-
National Film Award – Special Jury Award
2013 · For his 2012 films.
Did you know?
-
1
He worked as a chemist before becoming an actor.
-
2
He once worked as a watchman in Mumbai while looking for roles.
-
3
He played both writer Saadat Hasan Manto and politician Bal Thackeray in 2018–19.
Connections
Related people
Frequently asked
Who is Nawazuddin Siddiqui?
Nawazuddin Siddiqui is a Hindi film actor who spent more than a decade in small roles before breaking through in 2012 with Kahaani and Gangs of Wasseypur. Known for intense, naturalistic performances, he became internationally known as gangster Ganesh Gaitonde in Netflix’s Sacred Games.
How old is Nawazuddin Siddiqui?
Nawazuddin Siddiqui is 52 years old, born on 19 May 1974 in Budhana, Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh.
Where is Nawazuddin Siddiqui from?
Nawazuddin Siddiqui was born in Budhana, Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh.
What is Nawazuddin Siddiqui known for?
Nawazuddin Siddiqui is best known for Gangs of Wasseypur, Kahaani, The Lunchbox, Manto, Sacred Games.
What awards has Nawazuddin Siddiqui received?
Notable honours include National Film Award – Special Jury Award (2013).
References
- Nawazuddin Siddiqui — Wikipedia. Wikipedia. Retrieved 27 October 2026.
- Nawazuddin Siddiqui — IMDb. IMDb. Retrieved 27 October 2026.
- Nawazuddin Siddiqui — Hindi Wikipedia. Wikipedia (Hindi). Retrieved 27 October 2026.
- Official website. nawazuddinsiddiqui.com. Retrieved 27 October 2026.
- Nawazuddin Siddiqui (Q2995800) — structured data. Wikidata. Retrieved 27 October 2026.
Includes material from the Wikipedia article “Nawazuddin Siddiqui”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. That text is available under the same licence. Learn more
External links
About this profile
- Researched by the TrackFame editorial team; reviewed by Sanjay Sokal under our editorial policy
- First published 27 October 2026
- Last updated
Cite this page
“Nawazuddin Siddiqui.” TrackFame, last updated 28 October 2026. https://trackfame.com/person/nawazuddin-siddiqui
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