Manoj Bajpayee says his Twitter account hacked

BOMBAY TIMES (March 28, 2023)

For someone who started his journey on stage before moving to the big screen and delivering memorable performances in films like Shool, Gangs of Wasseypur and Aligarh, among others, Manoj Bajpayee’s love for theatre has stayed constant. The actor, who was recently at a college event in Pune, remembered his days in theatre. Speaking to the media during the event, Bajpayee shared his thoughts on stage performances.

He said, “To watch young students perform so well and present so many art forms on stage was indeed a beautiful experience. I think stage gives the scope of integrating various art forms. In fact, I’ll go a step further and say that you can create a cinema-like experience on stage, par cinema mein rangmanch nahi ho sakta hain. That’s the power of theatre.”

Bajpayee, who feels that theatre is integral to the growth of society, said, “My wish is for art forms to be made mandatory for youngsters in school or college. At least ek art form toh aana hi chahiye. Isse aapka vikas hota hai. And when an individual progresses, society progresses. Jab ek achha insaan banta hain tab ek achha samaj banta hain.”

The Aligarh actor also highlighted the challenges that theatre has faced over the years and how, despite it all, stage performances still sustain. He added, “Theatre has been around for generations, and in all these years, it has faced many challenges and threats – the first and biggest one being cinema. With cinema, it felt like rangmanch khatam ho jayega. But if you observe closely, you’ll see that almost 60% of artistes in cinema have had some sort of exposure to theatre. That’s how big a contribution theatre has had in the entertainment industry of our country. After cinema, it was TV, and now, OTT platforms pose a threat to its existence. But theatre has sustained and is still active and thriving. Youngsters are carrying the legacy forward, and that’s very encouraging. Art is the catalyst of progress in society.”

On a parting note, the actor was asked if the advent of multiple platforms has made the struggle of artistes easier and what his advice to youngsters looking to pursue a career in entertainment would be. Bajpayee responded, “When you want to be a professional artiste, without thinking of what platform you want to be on – chahe woh cinema ho, theatre ho, OTT ho ya reels ho – you need to dedicate a couple of years to learning your craft. When you learn the craft and hone your skills, you are bound to have long innings in the field. An actor who is dedicated to their craft has the capacity to adapt to any condition and medium.”