Acclaimed actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui took the stage at the Sandy Springs Performing Arts Center on July 26, 2026, in Naqaab, a comedy thriller written and directed by Paritosh Painter. Presented in Atlanta by the Aligarh Alumni Association and the Indian American Cultural Association, the production drew more than 1,000 audience members, many of whom waited more than an hour and a half outside for the opportunity to see Siddiqui perform live.
Among them was Monita Soni, who drove four hours from Huntsville, Alabama, to attend the performance. A longtime admirer of Siddiqui’s work, Soni has watched The Lunchbox (2013) at least a dozen times and particularly remembers his portrayal of Shaikh alongside Irrfan Khan.
Known for memorable performances in films such as Gangs of Wasseypur, The Lunchbox, and Manto, Siddiqui has built a distinctive career playing complex and unconventional characters. In Naqaab, he took on three roles in a murder mystery with elements reminiscent of an Agatha Christie whodunit, appearing in three different get-ups over the course of the production.
The performance also featured Siddiqui’s daughter, Shora Siddiqui, making her theatrical debut opposite her father. With her long hair and sparkling eyes, Shora appeared largely comfortable on stage alongside the National School of Drama alumnus. Siddiqui rose to prominence in Bollywood through years of perseverance, talent, and determination, without the advantage of an established film-industry background.
Siddiqui’s filmography includes the intelligence officer A. Khan in Kahaani (2012), the cunning Liak in Badlapur (2015), and a police inspector investigating a high-profile murder in Raat Akeli Hai (2020). He also portrayed Dashrath Manjhi in Manjhi: The Mountain Man (2015) and the serial killer Ramanna in Raman Raghav 2.0 (2016).
In Atlanta, Siddiqui delivered an energetic and committed performance across his three roles. However, aspects of the production did not always match the strength of its lead performer. The storyline lacked the intricacy expected of a murder mystery, while the sparse backdrop and technical limitations in lighting and sound diminished some of the production’s dramatic effect.
The amplified lapel microphones were particularly intrusive at times, causing some of the nuances of Siddiqui’s dialogue and comic delivery to be lost. Better-balanced sound could have allowed his shifts in tone to emerge more effectively. The production also raised the question of whether collaboration with Atlanta theater groups on technical lighting and sound might have strengthened the presentation, although contractual considerations may have limited such involvement.
After the performance, Soni met several Atlanta theater enthusiasts, including Kallol Nandi of Aabaha Theater, and discussed the production with him. Nandi similarly praised Siddiqui’s performance while expressing reservations about the technical execution. According to Nandi, Siddiqui’s “stage presence and craft were unquestionably the strongest elements of Naqaab,” while the poorly balanced lapel sound flattened some of the emotional impact and mood of the production.
Despite these shortcomings, Naqaab offered Atlanta audiences an unusual opportunity to experience Siddiqui in a theatrical setting and to see him share the stage with his daughter at the beginning of her theatrical journey.
The event also had a philanthropic component. According to the organizers, most of the money raised through the production was donated to education and health care initiatives.
The Atlanta performance was part of a U.S. tour that also included Chicago, Houston, New York, Dallas, and New Jersey, with performances in other U.S. cities.
Soni wished the Atlanta performance had included a brief Q&A with Siddiqui, giving audiences an opportunity to hear directly from the actor. She recalled a line associated with his portrayal of Saadat Hasan Manto in Manto (2018): “Insaan mar jata hai, kahaniyan hi reh jati hain” (“A person dies; only the stories remain”).
For audiences familiar with Siddiqui primarily through the screen, Naqaab offered a different perspective on his craft. Despite the production’s limitations, the performance also marked a memorable stage outing for the down-to-earth father-daughter team as Shora embarked on her theatrical journey.
–Monita Soni