Nawazuddin Siddiqui has proven time after time that he is invariably willing to move out of his comfort zone when it comes to engaging the audience, from going unnoticed in Aamir Khan’s Sarfarosh to winning hearts as Ganesh Gaitonde.

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The talented actor has established himself as a household name over the course of his two-decade career, starring in numerous influential films and web series with laudable, award-winning performances.

But there are a number of films he made before becoming famous that show the National School of Drama graduate was still around, even if Bollywood failed to notice him.

On the occasion of Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s 47th birthday today, we take a look back at five of his most memorable performances that have been forever etched in our minds.

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Gangs of Wasseypur

Gangs of Wasseypur is unquestionably one of the actor’s best performances. He played Faizal Khan, the son of Sardar Khan (Manoj Bajpayee). Although he is depicted as a young boy attempting to survive in the shadow of his father in the first instalment, he emerges as a gangster in his own right in the second instalment. This film cemented Nawazuddin’s popularity among the general public as well as critics.

Manto

The life of Saadat Hasan Manto was the subject of this harrowing biopic. Nawazuddin Siddiqui outdid himself in the role of the rebellious writer. His facial expressions said more about Manto than his dialogues.

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Sacred Games

“Kabhi kabhi lagta hai ki apun hi bhagwan hai,” said Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s character Ganesh Gaitonde in this iconic line from no-less-than-iconic Netflix web series, Sacred Games.

Badlapur

In Badlapur, Nawazuddin played the role of Liak, the antagonist to Varun Dhawan’s Raghu. He was regarded as one of Hindi cinema’s best villains.

Manjhi: The mountain man

“Bhagwan ke bharose mat baithiye, Kya pata bhagwan humre bharose baitha ho!” When Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s character Dashrath Manjhi spoke these lines in the Ketan Mehta directorial, every viewer was given a major life lesson they would keep close to their heart. Dashrath Manjhi, a labourer in Gehlaur village in Bihar, was the inspiration for this 2015 romantic film.

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Bole Chudiyan, Jogira Sara Ra Ra, Sangeen, and No Land’s Man are among Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s upcoming projects.