Nawazuddin Siddiqui celebrates his 39th birthday at Cannes

It was what Nawazuddin Siddiqui calls the most memorable birthday of his life. When the actor turned 39 in Cannes on Sunday he had friends like Anurag Kashyap, Madhu Mantena, Vikas Bahl and Tannishta Chatterjee to party with him. But Nawaz had nothing special to wear at Cannes. “What to do?” the brilliant actor who has four films in various section at the Cannes Film Festival. “I had no time to get myself any clothes. Ek suit ghar pe padaa hua tha jo pehle pehna nahin tha. Bas wohi lekar aa gaya.(There was a suit at home that I hadn’t worn earlier. I took it and came here).” But clothes certainly don’t make this actor’s life. Says Nawaz, “I feel blessed. To have four of my films here at Cannes, is like a dream. On Saturday we had a screening of Monsoon Shootout. On Sunday there were screenings of Lunchbox and Bombay Talkies. They were so well-received. I couldn’t have hoped for a better birthday gift.” In the night Nawaz’s friends hosted a birthday bash for him. Says Nawaz, “I had lots to celebrate this year. The overwhelming response to my films at Cannes is the highest point in my journey of the last one year.” At 39, Nawaz feels his life has just begun. “For 13 years I was given no room to grow as an actor. Kuch bhi milta tha main kar leta (I accepted whatever came my way). Gangs Of Wasseypur changed my life. Today I feel I’ve just begun my life. So this is my first birthday.”