Renowned actor Manoj Bajpayee, who has given us some path-breaking performances, speaks to The Pioneer over an exclusive chat about his upcoming film Bandaa, his acting process, and more.
SHIKHA DUGGAL
Some actors are known to dabble only in sci-fi; some actors have already dipped their toes in fantasy movies; and some actors are making appearances in old horror films too— but Manoj Bajpayee is one of those who doesn’t have a safe genre. It’s nothing like he is going to feel more comfortable in a specific role, ever! Neither is he interested in chasing a nice award-winning piece or a well-paid film; he really is different from the masses!
He works full-time and has always received the recognition that he deserves. We were in a nonplus situation when we heard that Manoj Bajpayee was giving us his time for an exclusive interview, so we did not waste a moment and just got underway. “I still have not delivered a masterpiece to Indian cinema — but all the films that have been released will always stay relevant to film studies. Masterpiece or not, time will tell! At present, the film that is going to be released has come straight from my heart and is about a belief system. I totally relate to it! The concept touched me. This was really a personal call for me! Whatever film I do, just do not associate with them as an actor but also as an individual. I want to protect young minds through my films! The dangers are lurking in society; they’re everywhere, and the young minds are very vulnerable. One tragic incident can really ruin their life, which I do not want! It could not have been more merrier me leading it from the front when it comes to the movie Bandaa.”
In his acting process, if he is not able to feel the character or see the character, then it’s a total struggle for him; that’s what he made us believe. “The upcoming film is truly based on a real man, who is living in Jodhpur currently, and real events. He is an expert on the Posco Act! So this film will also be a tribute to him for the tremendous cases that he has won for our country and celebrities. He fought the real war against the crimes that happen to children. During my theatre days, I worked with children from slums and railway platforms, which is why I am so connected with children. So through theatre employment, we were actually trying to rehabilitate all of them with Mr. Barry Jones. For seven consecutive years, I used to go to the slums every day. Their livelihood and the background story really crushed my soul. The system really needs to pull its socks up when it comes to children in our country! The system does not only include the government but also the parents; they are the most closely connected to a child. Even a relative cannot be ignorant about a child’s needs.”
Now he is in the league of senior actors, and he believes it’s his primary responsibility to never let his director’s hand go. In addition, whenever he is doing a movie with an ensemble cast, he makes it a point that every actor is going to come for readings and workshops. Surprisingly, the last film that he did that included the legendary actress Sharmila Tagore also abided by what Manoj had thought for the path-breaking film Gulmohar.
The national award winner continued, “My siblings are in Delhi; I am working here in Mumbai. I miss them! But because we are talking about me turning 54 years old, let me tell you that I have become more patient in life. All of a sudden, if you see me, my inclination towards spiritual practises is increasing day by day. And deep inside my heart, as everybody knows, I am still the boy from that village, and with due respect, I won’t be able to live my older years in Mumbai.”
Manoj Bajpayee must be a superstar for all of us, but his acting process is so rooted that whenever he is doing a film, the whole cast and crew eat their food together, and nobody even goes to their vanity vans. He says that film after film, his bonds in cinema are also strengthening. “For example, when I was doing Gulmohar and we wrapped up, it was so gracious of Sharmila Tagore ji that she invited all of us to the Pataudi Palace and stayed there for two days. I was so delighted! And she tells us that she is actually missing all of us. My bond with Sharmila Ji began with the lot of ‘Tehzeeb’, but then whenever I used to see her, I started remembering my father because he was a fan of a movie called Daag, which was hers! Both of us had so much fun on the sets. After three takes, if the director was ready for another one, she was to go, but why? And behind the scenes, I used to laugh heartily.”
Celebrating his funny little moments in the cinema, we move ahead in the interview: “I never take my characters home, and it’s a must for me to have fun after my scenes are finished. I hate it when an actor gets too disturbed while performing a role! Take it from me in writing: this kind of process always backfires on an actor. I am playing the character of a lawyer in my upcoming movie, so I cannot be totally attached to all the kids. My objectivity will go!”
Another quality that we witnessed about the actor was that he doesn’t take anything very personally in his life — it was the movie Satya that gave him the nationwide recognition that any actor would dream of. But he says he already knew that this euphoria was definitely going to go down one day, and it did before Rajneeti happened! “Something specific was going on in my mind back in the 90s, that I wanted to only do Satya kind of films, and that stopped being made, hence you saw me getting vanished too. All the other offers that were coming to my door were not on my dream list! The money was stupendous, even in those days. Prolific directors were coming to my one BHK, and to say no to them was really gutsy of me, I must say. That was also the time when egos were very big, and with every enemy increasing in the industry.”
He had been a character actor who was in a supporting role; he had been an actor who discovered new genres; and he had also been the actor who stuck by whatever commitment he gave. So how can we, even in the loosest sense, not call Manoj Bajpayee a cult actor? He speaks further, “For this particular movie, my director gave me direct instructions to not emote too much! Focus on the arguments. And such was the flow that I was not affected by the court proceedings then. This film is a concern for the entire country—we were not at all concerned about what controversy it could create because, for the team, what mattered was humanity. And I don’t think there will be any person who will go against this notion that we have to safeguard our children.”
Right through the heavyweights, Manoj Bajpayee has become synonymous with that star who never settles into the bland rut of an A-lister; instead, he deserves all the gratitude, and we were honoured to interview him.
