In 2003, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, a struggling actor then, had dropped in on the Kolkata set of Sudhir Mishra's Calcutta Mail, featuring Anil Kapoor and Rani Mukerji. An admirer of the filmmaker's work, he was hopeful of landing a role in the movie. "I happened to be in the city at that time, and was keen to meet sir [Mishra], hoping that he would consider me suitable for a role, but could not even reach him. I was just another struggler," recounts the actor.

Almost 17 years later, Siddiqui has realised his dream of working with Mishra. The actor is earning rave reviews for his nuanced performance as the ambitious Ayyan Mani in Serious Men. Describing himself as a director's actor, he says, "You have to understand the director's mind. Before the film rolls, there are rounds of meetings and readings, that's when I start internalising what the director wants. I don't take myself too seriously as an actor. I do what I have to, and leave the rest to the audience."