Nawazuddin born in a farmer's family in Uttar Pradesh, had eight siblings. He used to earn his bread and butter by working as a chemist there. Then, he moved to Delhi, he developed an interest in theatre as he worked as a watchman for one and a half years. This is how he joined The National School of Drama.
Boman Irani was a waiter and a room service attendant in Mumbai's Taj Mahal Palace Hotel before trying his luck in films. He also used to help his mother run their ancestral bakery shop. He then took to photography and joined theatre before Munna Bhai M.B.B.S. came his way.