I don't get bothered by what others think about my looks: Nawazuddin Siddiqui

Actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s cryptic tweet that hinted at racialism in the film industry has become the talk of the town. The actor has stated that he doesn’t get bothered by what people think about his looks but it does hurt him. Latest reports suggest that the tweet was due to the casting director of Babumoshai Bandookbaaz, who stated that it would be weird to cast fair-looking people opposite the actor.

The 43-year-old actor sent netizens into a tizzy yesterday with his cryptic tweet, purportedly in response to the remarks by Sanjay Chouhan, the casting director of "Babumoshai Bandookbaaz".

Chouhan, in an interview with a daily, had apparently said that after Chitrangada Singh walked out of the film, they wanted an actress who would look suitable opposite Siddiqui as "you can't cast fair and handsome people with Nawaz. It would look so weird."

"Thank you for making me realise that I cannot be paired along with the fair and handsome because I'm dark and not good looking, but I never focus on that," Siddiqui tweeted last night without naming anyone. Chouhan today denied ever commenting on Siddiqui's appearance.

In an interview with PTI, Siddiqui today spoke out against the notion that fair is handsome.

"People have their own perceptions. If a casting director thinks that he can't cast a fair and handsome actor opposite me, it is his problem. I don't focus or get bothered by what others think about my looks. But such things do hurt me," Siddiqui said.

He said it would be wrong to blame the industry alone for this attitude as it exists everywhere in the country.

"It is not only about the film industry. This is the mindset of our society. In my village, whenever I said, 'I want to be an actor', people would say, 'Have you ever seen yourself in the mirror?' I have always been told that. But if you are focused, these comments don't matter.

"People say get a fair wife... Why? Aren't dark girls beautiful? In our society, there is this weird concept of beauty and good looks. This perception of conventionally good looking is forced on us," the actor said.

Chouhan, in an interview with PTI, said his comments were misconstrued and he never used the phrase "fair and handsome".

"I was completely misquoted. All I said was the film needed actors as good as Nawazuddin. You need actors who could match his stature. I don't know from where the 'fair andhandsome' bit came but I never said the words," Chouhan said.

"I would never want to hurt Nawaz sir or the film by giving such statements. I haven't yet spoken to him, but I am deeply saddened by how the comments, which I never made in the first place, have been played out," he added.

Siddiqui's tweet has ignited a debate on social media, with celebrities such as Hansal Mehta, Tannishtha Chatterjee and others slamming the obsession or people with fair skin.

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