The plough and the star: The improbable celebrity of Nawazuddin Siddiqui

Abstract

Nawazuddin Siddiqui is only one of the many stars who came to fame in the Hindi film industry without any of its customary dynastic ties. His difference from fellow contemporary outsiders owes itself to his often-cited rural background, and an expansive and deliberative approach to acting derived from his drama school training. Lacking many of the characteristics that usually launch actors towards stardom, Siddiqui instead has built his persona upon the careful choice of widely varying characterizations, and a dedication to his craft that has allowed him to upstage even the industry’s megastars in films where he took on character roles. Siddiqui’s star person owes itself crucially to the stitching together of origins, training and craft in the continual public recital of his life story. Drawing on theories of narrative as well as of contemporary film stardom, we argue that the “telling” of his story serves as a rich performative resource to synthesize and legitimize his stardom.