Exclusive! Nawazuddin Siddiqui: ‘One cannot feel the magic of cinema without watching it on a 70mm screen’

Although Nawazuddin Siddiqui has a strong fan base around the world, thanks to his many critically acclaimed performances both in films and web shows, the actor feels that it is important for people to watch a movie in the theatre. Currently gearing up for his next release - the Kushan Nandy-directed romantic comedy film Jogira Sara Ra Ra, with Neha Sharma - the Gangs of Wasseypur actor sheds light on the importance of the big screen. 

Apart from this, Nawazuddin also has Sudhir Mishra’s Afwaah releasing soon. So, is he excited about the upcoming releases? “Honestly speaking, I have a mixed feeling of excitement and nervousness at the same time. Nervous, because of the changing attitude of people towards watching films in the theatre. Today, wherever I have reached as a performer and as a film actor, it is only because I watched and studied film on the big screen. One cannot get the depth and magic of cinema by watching it on a mobile phone or on a laptop. Cinema is an experience, when you watch a character on a 70mm screen, you start travelling with the character, and you see every nuance of the performance, for me that was a journey and a relationship between me and the character. It was a process, where I, as an audience, was watching something in a disciplined manner, with an undivided concentration,” he said in an exclusive chat with OTTplay. 

Adding to that, the actor said, “I would like to urge every budding actor and cinema lover that watch a film in the theatre, and just do not wait for it to be released on a streaming platform later. It is affecting the business, as well as a compromised experience of cinema. You see, to watch content, one can surely watch films, reels, and other social media content on a phone but there is a difference between content and cinema. To understand the depth of cinema, one has to go to the cinema theatre and revive the culture that is going through a tough time due to the habit of watching content on a mobile phone.”

Jogira Sara Ra Ra - which also features Sanjay Mishra and Nikki Tamboli (in a special appearance) - is all set to release in the theatres on April 12.