I feel Manoj Bajpayee is one of the most talented actors Hindi cinema has produced. You pick up any genre, action, thrill, comedy, suspense, he has nailed it by doing justice to the characters. I remember first time watching him playing a dacoit Maan Singh in Shekhar Kapur’s Bandit Queen. The film was a depiction of realty displayed on screen. And now when I see him as Srikant Tiwari in The Family Man, I feel he can play any role with sincerity and perfection. In an exclusive conversation with Team MissMallini, Manoj opens up about his journey as an actor so far, thoughts about OTT and changes in cinema.
Read his interview here:
On his journey as an actor…
I am happy to have a filmography which is unique in itself. I am happy that the choices were too many. More than that I only think about how I am going to perform in my next project. How should I learn a new thing. For me always evolving as a person and as an actor is my main concern and the focus all the time. I am feeling grateful at every step is something I don’t forget ever. I always wanted to become an actor because acting was my passion and acting is still my passion, not my career, not my profession. I never had a dream role, the only dream I had was to become an actor, a working actor. That’s the only dream I have always followed.
On his thoughts on OTT space…
The way OTT has given chances to actors to new or old actors is remarkable. I don’t think cinema in our country has capacity to give justified work to so many actors. It’s a great time, I am also happy that all of us are making the choice. It is a very happy state to be in.
On working in films and OTT…
When you are doing the film, the purpose is to entertain, they cannot afford Manoj Bajpayee to be in the character all the time and make it more heavier more intense. They want me to be aware of all the lines that I am saying. But say it with lot more impact. That is a different art altogether. When I am doing an independent film, it demands a lot of emotion. Being a part of the series exhausts you out emotionally and physically.
On witnessing the changes on screen….
The change that started with Satya from 1998 and to the industry that we are in now, is the industry that I can’t recognize. Even I talk about the city, it is not the same city, not the same sky anymore.
On watching his own movies with his daughter…
I usually don’t watch the film, if my kid watches, then I have to watch with her and close her ears, if any cuss words come.
On work front, the actor will be seen in Secrets of the Kohinoor, a docu-series on Discovery+ about how the valuable diamond has changed its appearance over centuries.