Naseeruddin 'envious' of Nawazuddin, Manoj Bajpayee, Irrfan

Veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah, known for his strong performances in content-oriented films, says he is envious of actors like Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Manoj Bajpayee and Irrfan Khan as they are "so skilful".

The Padma Bhushan awardee, who has films like "Nishant", "Aakrosh", "Mandi" and "Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro" to his credit, says that our country has a "fantastic crop of actors".

"I am envious of them... Nawaz, Manoj Bajpayee, Irrfan Khan. They are so skilful. These actors... Arshad Warsi, Vijay Raaz are at par with the best actors in the world," Naseeruddin, who was here to promote his forthcoming film "Waiting", told IANS.

"Nawazuddin Siddiqui is one of the finest actors I have ever seen and I envy him. I wish I was that good at his age. But it remains to be seen what our great film industry does with a talent like Nawaz.

"We don't know what it will make of him... with talents like Manoj and Kalki Koechlin. But I feel these guys have so much calibre that they will make an enduring mark," he added.

Asked if the actors he named can be called commercial actors as well?

"We can call Nawazuddin a commercial actor too. He stole the limelight in 'Bajrangi Bhaijaan' so, why not. He is the only one who has done justice to both kind of movies. I was never able to. Om (Puri) was never able to, even Irrfan was never able to... to give that kind of a sparkling performance in a movie like 'Kick'. He (Nawazuddin) stands alone," the 66-year-old opined.

"Waiting" is about the relationship between two people from different walks of life, who befriend each other in a hospital, while nursing their respective comatose spouses. The story of the film divulges into the themes of coping with grief and discovering hope.

Produced by Priti Gupta and Manish Mundra under the banner of Ishka Films and Drishyam Films, "Waiting" is set to release on May 27.