Manoj Bajpayee’s film Gali Guleiyan may not have made the numbers when it hit theatres back in 2018, but its recent OTT release has sprung a surprise. Currently, it is among the top 10 films on a major streaming platform. And the actor is ecstatic, to say the least.

“What I have gone through in getting films like Aligarh (2016) to cinema halls, and then OTT, has been quite a journey. One gets tired, but when you make great content, you have to fight for it,” he says.

The 53-year-old shared on Instagram recently how he was on the “verge of losing mental stability” while prepping for the role. Calling it his “toughest” till date, he adds, “It took a lot out of me, mentally and physically, and really made me push myself.”

Does a film doing well on OTT reinstate his belief, more so when it doesn’t amass much at the box office? He says, “I am not somebody who gives up. I am not into this for one or two films; I love my job. I fight for a film till the end.”

However, the Padma Shri awardee says the fact that the film has been received so well is testimony to the fact that audiences’ tastes have changed. He adds, “If you give the audience an opportunity, they’ll always go for content.”

But, does he feel small films have a lot more to prove than big star-driven films being promoted more by OTT platforms? “What will happen on OTT is democratization of the industry. Now, you have small stars, big stars, YouTube stars all getting work. It’s the best thing that can happen to this industry,” he signs off.