Manoj Bajpayee might be a name to reckon with today, but the journey to stardom hasn’t been one sans struggles for the actor. If there’s a challenge that he continues to tackle even today, it is that of procuring the right kind of release for the films that he does.

The actor confesses that the whole process of acting in a film, promoting it and then ensuring it gets released, is very tiring. “It breaks me completely. By the end of it, more than the shooting, this wears me out,” he tells us.

Bajpayee believes his job does not end when the director calls ‘cut’. He, in fact, goes all out to promote his films and get them released. “If production houses are not supporting the said film by saying that they don’t have enough funds, I take it upon myself to go ahead and do it. Sometimes, I go to distributors to try and understand the number of screens needed for it (his film to release). I speak to exhibitors to get the right shows. It has been the battle of my working life,” shares the actor, last seen in Gulmohar, for which he joined hands with director Rahul V Chittella — who made his feature debut with this film.

But, the 53-year-old has no qualms about going the extra mile or holding the hands of his producers and directors until the release of his films. “I don’t quit easily. When I have that kind of temperament, I go till the last ball. I try so that I can tell myself in the future that I have done my best, the rest is in God’s hand,” adds the multiple National Film Award-winning actor, who will be seen next in the film Joram, besides other projects.

Picking subjects that are not run-of-the-mill and sticking to his choices, he admits, has “taken a lot out of him”.

“It has been a battle. Like a lone warrior, you are just swinging your sword around... I don’t remember any task that felt easy,” Bajpayee signs off.