Nawazuddin Siddiqui claims that he was never paid Rs 2500 for his role in School, but compensated with complimentary dinners

Nawazuddin Siddiqui has triumphed as an underdog in the Hindi film industry. Nawazuddin did a number of lesser roles before becoming a well-known actor. In Ram Gopal Verma’s Shool, he portrayed a restaurant waitress (1999). Manoj Bajpayee plays Inspector Samar Pratap Singh, while Raveena Tandon plays Samar’s wife, Manjari Pratap Singh, in the film.

Nawazuddin Siddiqui claimed in a recent interview that he was not given the meager compensation of Rs. 2,500 that he was entitled to his efforts on the film. He also said that he went to the producer’s office numerous times over a few months to collect his money, but when he was informed that he wouldn’t be paid, he devised a smart method to get it back.

“I’ve had little roles in films that I don’t even mention,” Nawazuddin Siddiqui told Bollywood Bubble. I needed the money; it was my only means of existence. In Shool, I portrayed a waitress who receives orders from Manoj Bajpayee and Raveena Tandon. The makers promised to pay me Rs 2,500, but I never received it. There have been numerous similar incidents, but this one stands out.”

Eeshwar Nivas directed the school. Ram Gopal Varma wrote and produced the film, which depicts the politician-criminal connection and the criminalization of politics in Bihar, as well as the impact on the life of an honest police officer.

His explanation in Hindi was as follows: “I used to go to the producer’s office numerous times a week for six to seven months after the film was out to get my Rs 2500, which I never received.” But what I did was acquire meals whenever I went to their workplace. So I began by arriving at their workplace before lunchtime. And when they looked at me, they’d question, ‘khaana khaayega?’ (Would you want to eat?) and I’d respond ‘has’ (yes), but they’d say ‘paise to nahi Milenge par khaana khaa le Aaja to (you won’t receive the money, but you may eat here). And I did it for several months, and that’s how I got my money resolved.”

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