Filmmaker Ketan Mehta chose Nawazuddin Siddiqui to play the lead role in his upcoming biographical drama “Manjhi- The Mountain Man” for his intense eyes.
Mehta had seen Siddiqui’s films and was convinced that the actor was perfect to portray the role.
“After I wrote the script, Nawazuddin came to my mind. He is a brilliant actor and he has the correct body type that of Manjhi’s. The moment I met him I realised he was the right guy to do the role.
“I had seen some of his earlier films and I thought ‘Here is a special actor’. Even in those small bit roles, he stood out. In ‘Kahaani’ he had a substantial role and even there he worked hard and was incredible. The intensity in his eyes was unmissable,” Mehta told PTI.
The 41-year-old “Gangs of Wasseypur” actor essays the role of Dashrath Manjhi, a poor labourer hailing from Gehlaur village in Gaya district widely known as the “Mountain Man”.
