On the big screen, Bollywood is all about the glitz and glamour, but when the curtains fall and the truth comes out, this rosy picture seems to go hazy.
Behind the scenes, it’s a whole new world – not everyone is friends and not everyone has something nice to say about the other. Arch-rivals are revealed and fake friendships are exposed. A cold war that recently surfaced on the grapevine is allegedly between Irrfan Khan, who has years of experience, and Nawazuddin Siddiqui, who is still relatively new in the industry compared to his ‘nemesis’. However, Nawazuddin denies any such scuttlebutt.
“I don’t understand where these rumours come from. I am very disappointed,” Nawazuddin, who doesn’t believe in unnecessary arguments, told IANS. “Irrfan is my senior; he is 10 years senior to me. I can’t even think of fighting with him for any reason.” The two share screen space in Ritesh Batra’s The Lunchbox.
“I have learnt so much from him and such rumours will only affect our relationship. I have immense respect for Irrfan,” Nawazuddin added further.
The makers of The Lunchbox asked Irrfan – known for his roles in Slumdog Millionaire and The Namesake – to supervise the film’s international marketing campaign and this is said to be the cause of the row between the two. Nawazuddin rubbished the rumours saying, “I don’t believe this. Irrfan is not only popular in India but also on an international level. So there was absolutely no fight on this.”
The film was previously screened at the Cannes International Film Festival and according to Nawazuddin, it was quite well-received by the audience. “I am proud to be associated with this product,” he said. The Lunchbox is set to release in India on September 20.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 1st, 2013.
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