Nawazuddin Siddiqui's look from 'Saindhav' revealed: Everything to know

After creating waves in Hindi cinema with projects such as Gangs of Wasseypur, Raat Akeli Hai, Badlapur, Manto, and Sacred Games, actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui is now all set to make his debut in Tollywood with Saindhav. The film stars Venkatesh Daggubati in the lead and is helmed and written by Sailesh Kolanu, known for the murder mystery/police procedural HIT franchise.

• It is not uncommon for actors from one industry to move to the other industry (dominated by a different language) for select films since it provides them pan-India exposure and also increases their fanbase across the country.
• Some examples include Nagarjuna (Brahmastra), Alia Bhatt (RRR), Janhvi Kapoor and Saif Ali Khan (Devara), Vijay Deverakonda (Liger), Prabhas (Saaho), and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan (PS series).

Siddiqui's first look from the upcoming film was unveiled on his birthday on Friday. While revealing it, Daggubati tweeted, "Happy Birthday @Nawazuddin_S ! Can't wait for the world to meet the fearsome Vikas Malik." In the still, Siddiqui can be seen sitting atop a flashy blue car's bonnet while smoking a cigarette as a group of men in the background look on.

During an interview with The Hindu, Kolanu revealed that the idea of Saindhav was born during the lockdown when he met a boy who was diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy, the medicines for which cost Rs.17cr. "The story of Saindhav is built around this health condition. The audience will be thrilled to see Venky sir in a role that he has not done before."

As per the NHS website, "Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a genetic condition that makes the muscles weaker and causes problems with movement. It's a serious condition that gets worse over time." Symptoms include floppy or weak arms and legs and movement problems, among others.

Saindhav marks Daggubati's 75th feature film. It also stars Shraddha Srinath (Vikram Vedha) and Ruhani Sharma (HIT) and is jointly produced by Venkat Boyanapalli and Kishore Thallur. The cinematography is by S Manikandan (HIT: The First Case), while the music is by Santhosh Narayanan (Master). The film is heading toward a tentative release on December 22, 2023, and is Kolanu's fourth feature film directorial.