Sonia Lulla (MID-DAY; January 22, 2018)

Manoj Bajpayee is taken back to his association with Ahmed Khan in 1998 when we ask him how he hopped aboard the cast of the latter’s Baaghi 2. Then having choreographed Bajpayee for Sapne Mein Milti Hai [Satya, 1998], Khan, the actor says, helped him pull off moves that have now become “cult”. And although having been “emotionally blackmailed” by Khan to feature in Baaghi 2, Bajpayee says their association this time around won’t yield similar results.

“I will not be shaking a leg in the film,” he says, his reservations evidently stemming from the dancing prowess of leading man, Tiger Shroff. “It has been great to see the skills of Tiger Shroff. Watching him jump and kick as he pulls off some remarkable stunts is mesmerizing. But I will not shake a leg with him. I think anybody will be an idiot to attempt [to do so],” he says, further heaping praise on Shroff for being “scarily focused on the job at hand.”

The actor refutes suggestions of playing the antagonist in the film. “I play a significant role, but reports of me playing the negative character are not correct. It is Prateik Babbar who plays the anti-hero.”