'Talent should not be celebrated based on gender'

Mumbai: National Award-winning actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui has worked with several talented female filmmakers in his career. Nandita Das called the shots in Firaaq and Manto, Reema Kagti directed Talaash and, recently, Tannishtha Chatterjee wielded the megaphone in the upcoming Roam Rome Mein. Siddiqui says as an actor he does not differentiate between talents based on gender.

"When I work with a filmmaker, I am not concerned about the gender of the storyteller. For me, whether it is Nandita or Tannishtha, they are talented storytellers. They came to me with a vision and I am participating in telling their stories on screen. For me, what matters the most is creativity, and I have to be on the same wavelength with the director. Talent should not be celebrated on the basis of gender. So, when Tannishtha was directing me, not for a single moment did I feel that a woman was giving direction. For me, it was a talented human being I was collaborating with," Nawazuddin said.

Tannishtha's Roam Rome Mein has been in then news lately for the response that the film has been eliciting in the festival circuit.

Set in Rome, the film features Vineet Kumar, Isha Talwar and Italian actors Urbano Barberini and Pamela Villoresi along with Nawazuddin and Tannishtha.

Nawazuddin says he is happy with the positive response the film received from global

audiences.