Nawazuddin Siddiqui is a dacoit now

Nawazuddin Siddiqui will feature in an international production based on Sujit Saraf's book, 'The Confession of Sultana Daku'. It is a fictionalised account of Sultana Daku, a dacoit who terrorised British India. Interestingly, one of Sultana Daku's stomping grounds was Muzaffarnagar, where Nawaz hails from. The film is being made by London based Beautiful Bay Entertainment and directed by Heeraz Marfatia who has assisted filmmakers such as Shekhar Kapur and the Oscar nominated Roland Joffe.

Speaking to Mirror, Heeraz says the most interesting thing about Sultana Daku is that in UP and particularly Tarai, he still lives among the people even though he died in 1924. "I was recently sitting in a Delhi restaurant when a young boy of about 15 entered. The owner asked him where he was from and how he will hold his own in Delhi. He replied confidently that he was from the land of Sultana Daku. That's what got me seriously interested in the project," he admits.
According to Heeraz, Nawaz was the obvious choice for the title role as he has lived and dreamt these stories since he was a child. "In a way he has been preparing for this character all his life without even knowing it. He knows everything about Sultana because he grew up just 100 kms away from where Sultana lived. Even today, in films set in the region like Gangs of Wasseypur there is a mention of Sultana Daku," he points out.
Nawaz is equally excited about portraying the iconic character, reasoning that growing up Sultana was his superhero. "On dark winter nights, snug under a blanket, the threat of modern-day dacoit attacks on our village looming on my mind, Sultana would come alive in my father's stories. He was a real daku, unlike the criminals who terrorised us, always taking a stand against injustice," Nawaz eulogises. The film will be shot extensively in real locations sometime next year.