ACCLAIMED ACTOR NAWAZUDDIN SIDDIQUI ON HIS NEW FILM PHOTOGRAPH AND UPCOMING PROJECTS
by MOHNISH SINGH
No one can achieve fame and success in a day. It may take years and in some cases even decades, as has been the case for acclaimed actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui.
From starting out as a chemist at a pharmaceutical firm in Gujarat to working as a watchman at a toy factory in New Delhi, Nawazuddin had done everything before he decided to become an actor and moved to the city of dreams, Mumbai.
His struggle in Bollywood began with blink-and-you-miss-it parts in movies such as Sarfarosh (1999), Jungle (2000) and Munna Bhai M.B.B.S (2003).
After struggling for years, Nawazuddin finally caught audiences’ attention with breakout performances in Sujoy Ghosh’s Kahaani (2012), which was soon followed by Anurag Kashyap’s Gangs Of Wasseypur (2012). Since then, there has been no looking back.
The National Film Award-winning actor, who was most recently seen playing the title role in the political biopic Thackeray (2018), is presently busy promoting his upcoming film Photograph. He stars opposite talented newcomer Sanya Malhotra in the movie helmed by well-known director Ritesh Batra, who has risen to international fame since his stunning film The Lunchbox (2013).
Nawazuddin plays a struggling street photographer in the romantic drama, which had its world premiere at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival and European premiere at the recent Berlin International Film Festival.
Eastern Eye caught up with Nawazuddin to talk about Photograph, experiences at the recently concluded Berlin Film Festival, forthcoming projects and joys of stardom.
Was Photograph a challenging film for you?
It was challenging because we had to act as real and authentic as possible. Ritesh, our director, made sure that it did not look like we were acting in the film. Just like how we behave in our normal lives. So that was indeed challenging, because whenever a director says ‘action’, actors are habitual of getting into an acting zone. So we had to curb our natural instinct of acting and deliver performances that looked natural and not acting. Ritesh would make us do at least 7-8 takes and would approve those shots where we acted genuinely.
Did you learn photography as part of your preparation for the role?
Yes, I did. I got in touch with some of the photographers who are found on the Gateway of India. I learned many things from them, including how to click pictures and take out the print, and also their body language.
Do you remember getting your own first portfolio shoot done?
My first portfolio shoot? Yeah, I did it in 2003. Though I came to Mumbai in 2000, I did not have any portfolio until 2003, because I did not have enough money. When I had some money, I did it.
Do you remember the photographer who did your first portfolio shoot?
He is from Juhu. His studio is at the corner of Hare Rama Hare Krishna temple road. Most of the strugglers who came to Mumbai around 2000 to become an actor would go to his studio only. (Laughs). I never showed my portfolio album to anyone because it was very thick and bulky. I paid him four or five thousand rupees.
Tell us, what would you like to capture with your camera?
I want to capture the real beauty of nature. I like Rajasthan a lot. I don’t know why, but I love that city. So whenever I go to Rajasthan, I click some photos of the desert. I like deserts more than the mountains.
Your films are releasing back-to-back. In January you had Thackeray, and now you are coming up with Photograph; don’t you feel you are over-exposing yourself?
In theatre, I have played over 200 characters. Besides, I have observed thousands of people very closely when I was struggling to get into movies. And I had no work to do for almost 10 years. So, even if I continue to act in movies for the next hundred years, I will never be over-exposed because I have a lot to offer
my audience.
The trailer of Photograph shows a growing bond of an unusual pair. Have you seen such kind of relationships in real life?
Such types of relationships are quite common. In films, we generally tend to show love stories, which are interesting and have a set pattern of a beginning, middle and end. In Photograph, there is no drama as such. It is a story about a phase, which comes in Rafi and Miloni’s (our characters) lives. Before this phase comes in their lives, they were something else, and they will become something else after this phase is over. We have not created any major drama in the film. Photograph is a simple film.
So, it’s not a love story?
No, it is a love story, but not the kind we have been watching in Bollywood since ages. We are accustomed to watching very filmy type of love stories. But in real life, there are thousand kinds of love stories. They are very interesting. We never capture them because we are stuck in clichés. We believe that if there is a girl and a boy, they will love each other the way Bollywood has shown us over the years. But, no. Love stories that Bollywood shows us are fake, but we are still used to them. Real-life love stories are very casual. They don’t have a fixed pattern. You never know what is going to happen next.
Tell us more…
There are some love stories where people fail to profess their love. Both move on with their lives and find solace in somebody else. Photograph is also like that. Neither Rafi has expressed his love nor has Miloni said anything. You never know whether they are going to make it or will marry somebody else as time flies. You never really know.
How did you find Sanya Malhotra as a co-star?
She is wonderful. She is very mature when it comes to work. She is cool. Most importantly, she is a gifted actress, I feel.
Was she awestruck after meeting you?
(Laughs). No. Instead, I was awestruck after meeting her.
How was your experience of attending the recently concluded Berlin Film Festival?
Amazing. We all went there and stayed for three days. Our film was shown in one of the biggest cinema halls there. It garnered a warm response from the audience. The international audience has started taking our films more seriously now. Ritesh is a popular director internationally, and I am not saying so just because I have worked with him. He is popular there because of his film The Lunchbox, which made more money in western countries than in India. The Lunchbox is one of the most loved films in the world. So when we went to the Berlin Film Festival, people were waiting to see Photograph because of Ritesh’s previous work. Films like The Lunchbox, Photograph and web series Sacred Games prove to the world that we also make good content and to not take us lightly.
Nawaz, how do you enjoy your stardom?
How do I enjoy my stardom? I don’t know. I was working like a labourer earlier and I am working like one even today. I guess I enjoy my stardom by working hard.
You have seven brothers. Don’t they pester you to launch them in the industry?
No, never. They never asked me to launch them. Out of the seven brothers, one has been living with me for many years now. He will be making his directorial debut soon.
Would you like to share more details about the project?
The movie is titled Bole Chudiyan. It is a love story. I cannot talk much about the project at the moment.
What kind of films do you watch as an audience?
Frankly speaking, I watch only a few movies. Now-a-days, I am watching a lot of documentaries. Recently I watched Oasis: Supersonic (2016), a documentary by Asif Kapadia.
Would you like to tell us something about the second season of Sacred Games?
We have just finished shooting for the series. It will premiere around June-July. We shot at some amazing locations in Nairobi, Mombasa, Johannesburg and Cape Town.
What are your forthcoming projects?
My upcoming projects are Raat Akeli, which I am currently shooting for. It stars Radhika Apte opposite me and is being directed by Honey Trehan. Then there is a film by Tannishtha Chatterjeeji. It’s called Roam Rome Mein. After that, I will be seen in Debamitra Hassan’s film Motichoor Chaknachoor.
Kim, Kanye, North and Saint West out in NYC Twitter/KimKFan
Anurag Bajpayee's Gradiant: The water company tackling a global crisis
In a world increasingly defined by scarcity, one resource is emerging as the most quietly decisive factor in the future of industry, sustainability, and even geopolitics: water. Yet, while the headlines are dominated by energy transition and climate pledges, few companies working behind the scenes on water issues have attracted much public attention. One of them is Gradiant, a Boston-based firm that has, over the past decade, grown into a key player in the underappreciated but critical sector of industrial water treatment.
A Company Born from MIT, and from Urgency
Founded in 2013 by Anurag Bajpayee and Prakash Govindan, two researchers with strong ties to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Gradiant began as a scrappy start-up with a deceptively simple premise: make water work harder. At a time when discussions about climate change were centred almost exclusively on carbon emissions and renewable energy, the trio saw water scarcity looming in the background.
Their insight was that some of the world’s largest industries—semiconductors, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, food and beverage—were facing acute water-related challenges long before the general public grasped the issue. “Without water, these industries don’t just slow down; they stop,” Bajpayee has often remarked. What Gradiant offered was not just a way to save water, but a way to rethink how it is used, recycled, and valued.
The Engineers Behind the Mission
Anurag Bajpayee, the company’s CEO, whose academic path took him to MIT, where he completed a PhD in Mechanical Engineering focused on water treatment technologies. It was there that he met Govindan, a fellow engineer and now Gradiant's co-founder and COO, whose expertise complemented his in fluid mechanics and process engineering.
Unlike many founders who drift towards the language of venture capital and corporate strategy, Anurag Bajpayee and his team remained grounded in the technical problem: how to make industrial water treatment more efficient, more affordable, and more sustainable. The company still bears the imprint of its founders’ engineering roots. Gradiant is less Silicon Valley startup and more MIT lab, albeit one that has quietly expanded across Asia, the Middle East, Europe and North America.
What Gradiant Actually Does
The company specializes in designing and building bespoke water treatment and reuse systems for industrial clients. Its technologies are aimed at enabling factories and plants to reclaim water that would otherwise be discarded as waste, reducing both the amount of water withdrawn from natural sources and the volume of contaminated water discharged.
At the heart of Gradiant’s portfolio are proprietary technologies such as Counter Flow Reverse Osmosis (CFRO), Carrier Gas Extraction (CGE) and Selective Ion Recovery (SIR), developed from the Gradiant founders’ early research at MIT. Unlike traditional methods like reverse osmosis, these systems are designed to handle highly contaminated or complex wastewater streams, enabling clients to extract clean water even from previously unusable sources.
But Gradiant does not sell “one-size-fits-all” machines. Each project is tailored to the customer’s unique needs. For a semiconductor plant in Singapore, this might mean achieving ultrapure water reuse levels of 98%; for a food and beverage factory in Texas, it might be about safely treating wastewater for discharge while minimising energy consumption. The company's approach—sometimes called "solutioneering" internally—is both its competitive advantage and its raison d'être.
Expansion Without the Usual Hype
Gradiant’s growth has been quietly impressive. From its first commercial project in the oil and gas sector, it has gone on to complete over 500 installations worldwide. The company has raised more than $400 million in funding from a mix of institutional investors and private equity firms, achieving so-called “unicorn” status, with a valuation reportedly over $1 billion.
Unlike many green tech firms, Gradiant’s expansion has not been accompanied by flashy marketing campaigns or grandiose statements. Instead, the company has preferred to build credibility client by client, particularly in Asia, where water-intensive industries and growing environmental pressures make its services indispensable. Anurag Bajpayee, never one to speak in superlatives, frames the company’s expansion as a “response to urgent need” rather than a triumph of business.
Inside Gradiant’s Operations
At its core, Gradiant is still an engineering-first company. Anurag Bajpayee and Govindan, both technically trained and heavily involved in the company’s operations, have instilled a culture where R&D is not just a department but the lifeblood of the business. The firm currently holds more than 250 patents globally, a testament to its ongoing commitment to innovation.
But Gradiant’s success is not just about technology. The company has differentiated itself by offering not just equipment but full-service solutions, including project design, construction, operations, and maintenance. This full-stack approach has been particularly attractive to clients in highly regulated industries, who need water management solutions that work seamlessly and reliably without requiring deep in-house expertise.
Gradiant’s clients include some of the world’s largest manufacturers, including Fortune 500 companies in sectors like microelectronics, pharmaceuticals, and energy. Some, like semiconductor producers, rely on Gradiant to help them meet stringent water reuse targets while maintaining ultra-clean production environments.
Navigating a Changing World
Gradiant operates at the intersection of several converging trends: climate change, regulatory pressure, and industrial decarbonisation. In many regions, water scarcity has become the limiting factor for industrial growth, sometimes more than energy availability or supply chain constraints.
While public attention often focuses on domestic water use, it is industries that consume the lion’s share of freshwater. Gradiant's pitch is straightforward: industries will have to do more with less, and Gradiant offers the tools to make that possible.
Anurag Bajpayee is keenly aware of the paradox that water, despite being vital, is often underpriced and undervalued, especially when compared to energy. “We don’t pay what it’s worth, only what it costs,” he told an audience at a recent conference. Yet, the landscape is shifting. Regulators, investors, and companies themselves are increasingly acknowledging water as both a business risk and a social responsibility.
What's Next for Gradiant?
Looking ahead, Gradiant appears poised to play a central role as industries adapt to water scarcity. Yet, Anurag Bajpayee remains cautious about the hype cycle. "The problem we’re working on isn’t going anywhere," he says. "It’s not a question of innovation alone, but of execution—of making sure these solutions actually reach the places that need them most."
In an era where water risk is increasingly material to business, Gradiant’s quiet, technically grounded approach may prove to be exactly what is needed.
(The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Eastern Eye. The publication does not endorse or take responsibility for the accuracy of any statements made by the author.)