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The man with the Midas Touch – Manoj Bajpayee
"Directors will have to work harder and take a lot more risks, have a lot more imagination. I want people to challenge me with roles," says actor Manoj Bajpayee
Manoj Bajpayee / Image- X (@BajpayeeManoj)
It started with Doordarshan and a series called Swabhimaan turned into a thirst that’s giving us series like Killer Soup and movies like Joram. It is obvious to all that Manoj Bajpayee the actor has now started choosing scripts with an obvious demarcation – some for his fans, some for commerce and some for the awards – with his plate full and fans satiated, the actor spoke to us in depth about cinema and more…
Your poignant Interpretation of the desperate father in Joram was as always impactful, but how cathartic is playing such a character?
Director Devashish Makhija had approached me in 2016 with the script and we had talked about it and we kept improvising it. He used to send me notes about the backstory. I could slip into the character easily because I had the notes to refer but it also needed a lot of isolation! I really believe that acting is a 24hour job, and somehow, I need to balance the work life and personal life around it. The joy of managing to emote the way your director pictured it, Is the battle won!
Each time you deliver an intense role, we wonder how do you manage to do it with such perfection. Can we have an answer to that?
I let my internal side dictate my external side. The character takes me over completely but I try to rehearse and think of my roles when I am alone at night or when I am taking my shower. Once I am with my family, I dedicate my time completely to them.
Is It difficult coming out of such characters, how do you manage to come out of it?
I try to come out of it as fast as possible. The only character which traumatized me was that of Gali Guleiyan. It was such a dark intense character that it destroyed me completely. It was not easy. It made me mentally sick. If I can be completely honest, I have still not come out of the role completely. It still haunts me.
You are the face and voice of the common man for every director-how does that feel?
It means that they are confident that I will bring the nuances of a common man on screen well. They see a common man in me and that is an enormous compliment.
Despite that enormous responsibility of representing the common man, you have also signed commercial films like Baaghi 3 and Satyameva Jayate with complete ease?
It's Important to do such films, I do it for commercial credibility they are superhit films. For every Sonchiriya, Gali Guleiyan, Aligarh, Rukh and Bhonsle I have to do one Baaghi 3 so that my presence is there in the market. I am offered commercial films every week but I don’t sign them because I don’t want to be completely involved in only commercial films and I am doing work that I enjoy. Today, web series as a platform is available too, so this is a great time for actors.
Do you ever recall your earlier struggling days?
I have one thing to say that will sum-up my struggling days – any actor who comes to this city of dreams, does not remain the person he was, he becomes a bi-product. People who make it and even people who don’t make it – this city changes them all. The challenges are many, for me it was difficult because I didn’t have a roof over my head. The ways of Bombay (Mumbai) were very different from that of the place that I grew up in.
Tell us a little about your marital life, your wife (Shabana Raza akaNeha) is a fine actress – don’t you plan on making movies together?
Yes, she is a wonderful actress but we have not been offered roles together. As of now, she is happy being at home. She is a lovely cook too. Our idea of fun is watching movies and going for drives. Now we have a mini theatre at home, so we watch movies on that, together.
One last question, do you feel your talent has got its due?
No, I have not been completely exposed as an actor. Directors will have to work harder and take a lot more risks, have a lot more imagination. I want people to challenge me with roles.
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