Showing posts with label Despatch. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Despatch. Show all posts
I don't even have 8 hit films in 32 years. Doesn't my being here negate this language of trade and box office?-Manoj Bajpayee
10:28 AM
Anshul Chaturvedi (BOMBAY TIMES; March 31, 2026)
Manoj Bajpayee was in Delhi for a session at the IFFD (International Film Festival of Delhi). When an alumnus of Ramjas College, talks about cinema, in Delhi, a throwback is inevitable – the journey to come to Delhi to learn acting from his village in Bihar at 18, a lifetime back. The struggle, the uncertainty, and the 32 long years spent in an industry, that he strongly feels, is too star-centric. That industry, along with a media and the audience that is too star-struck, just does not give many talented actors their due in time, he rues. Not wistfully, but angrily. Anger about the years lost before they are given their due. About the discrepancy in money and stature – ‘second-class citizens’, he calls them. About the fixation of evaluating movies, and actors, basis their box office numbers. Read on to see the otherwise gentle Family Man in unchecked Shool mode:
Back in 2012, when you were in Cannes for the premiere of Gangs of Wasseypur, you had told me, ‘Indian media hamari baat nahi karta hai. Aaj ka media baat karta hai ki stars ne kaun se kapde pehne.’ You and Nawazuddin were saying that the stage that star kids reach with their debut – multicrore films, producers chasing you – you don’t reach that in many many years. I had asked you, 'aapko nahi lagta samay aapke haath se nikla ja raha hai?’ To which you had said something that has stayed with me:
‘Badi lambi ladai hai hamare liye - khud se bhi hoti hai, poora system lad raha hota hai. Ya toh khaane ko le kar jaddojahad hai, ya jo logon ke perceptions ban jaate hain hamare baare mein, usko le kar jaddojahad hai, hum apni jagah banana chahte hain, uski jaddojahad hai. A lot of our energy, which should have gone to our craft, instead goes into these fights. By the time people want to use your talent in the right way, tab tak bada late ho chuka hota hai. Like I am a very desperate man right now. I want to work with all the fantastic filmmakers. Mujhe lagta hai, mera samay nikla jaa rahaa hai, jaldi karo, jaldi karo...Yeh samay kyun nikla? Kyunki hum bina matlab ke jaddojahad me phanse reh gaye.’
How do you feel about that sentiment now?
I am at a stage when a lot of roles are physically not possible for me. Or I will not be able to do a mentally exhausting role - iss dar se ki kya main isko survive kar paunga? Kya koi ghatna toh nahi ghat jayegi. Kanu Behl hamare Hindustan ka ek bahut hi pahuncha hua filmmaker hai. Zyada log usko tavajjo nahi dete hain kyunki Rs 1,000 crore ki film nahi banayi hai usne. Lekin uss generation mein bahut hi kam brilliant, international level ka jise kahein, woh director hai Kanu Behl. I did Despatch (2024) with him, jo mujhe lagta hai meri behtareen film aur behtareen performance mein se hai. After that, he came to me with another story, but I told him, 'Kanu, kaash ki main 30-40 ki umr mein hota, toh teri film zaroor karta'. Kyunki Kanu ka apna ek process hai jismein aadmi bahut thak jata hai, mentally aur physically. Bahut demanding hoti hai uski direction. Mujhe afsos iss baat ka hai ki main uss umr mein nahi hoon ki main Kanu Behl ki film kar paoon. Late isliye hua. Late hua hai. Aur bahut late hua hai.
Uska karan sabse bada ye raha hai ki media aur darshak dono hi busy rahe stars ko celebrate karne mein. They don't care that a very talented Nawazuddin Siddiqui has been 15 years late in his career. No one cares that it's late for a Pankaj Tripathi. They got the respect and recognition so late - by then they can't do a lot of roles. But the good thing is that at least jab bhi woh aaye - aapne unke talent ko pehchana. Lekin, yakeen maaniye late ho gaya. Agar woh 25 saal ki umr mein ya 30 saal ki umr mein unko woh pehchan ya maanyata mili hoti toh bahut saare roles thay joh woh kar sakte thay. Ab uss age category mein woh log rahe nahin.
Hamare Hindustan mein talent ko kabhi celebrate hi nahi kiya gaya. If you go on social media now, you'll see that the films that are doing well - no one is talking about the performances in them, or the director's brilliant craft. What are we talking about? Today the film crossed Rs 100 crore - kal 150 ho jayega, koi dusra kehta hai nahi, 200 ho jayega. Films are celebrated as numbers or that actor's hairstyle was so good or who wore which designer. Hum log filmon ke baare mein ya kisi bhi kaam ko lekar ke - hum na talent ki baat karte hain, na craft ki baat karte hain. Humne apne aap ko ek darshak ke taur pe - ek media ke taur pe usi daayre mein rakha hai.
If box office numbers are so amazing that they decide everything... I've been in this industry for 32 years. I don't even have 8 hit films in these 32 years. So how am I here? Doesn't my being here negate this language of trade and box office? 8 filmein bhi hit nahi hai meri - Satya se le kar ke ab tak. Toh box office number kitne valid hote hain? Kahin na kahin darshakon ko ya filmmakers ko Manoj Bajpayee chahiye tha. Unke karan maine unki filmon mein kaam kiya.
Anurag Kashyap didn't take me in Gangs Of Wasseypur after seeing box office numbers. Meri kaabiliyat dekh ke liya tha usne. Ram Gopal Verma ke paas jab mujhe Satya mili thi tab dar-dar bhatakne wala ek actor tha main. Kabhi kisi serial ke episode mein dikh jata tha ya kisi actor ya producer ke darwaze pe dikhta tha.
The way we have started celebrating box office numbers - it not a sign of a good film industry. If I give a story, a script to a trade journalist and ask kitne hazar crore ka ya kitne 100 crore ka collection ye film karegi? No one will be able to tell. Ye sab batane lagte hain jab film lag jati hai. Iska matlab ye hai ki sab mithya hai. Ye sab bakwas hai. When the audience starts changing - the films will start changing.
So if a film is recognized and celebrated based on how much money it makes, an artiste’s stature is also recognized by how much money they command. Back then, you had shared that actors like you - the people you named earlier - the problem you face is that when you are cast in a big budget film, you get a side role, so you don't get big money. And when films cast you in the lead role, the people making it do not have big money. So either way - paisa nahi aata. Is that still the same or has anything changed?
Nothing has changed. Ek hero ne bahut achhi baat mujhse kahi thi - main naam nahi lunga. Maine kaha - bhai, aap bahut secure actor ho, yaar. Toh unhone kaha tha - yaar, bahut seedhi si baat hai. Tu bahut badhiya kaam kar raha hai. Lekin agar film hit ho gayi toh tere Rs 400 badhenge aur mere Rs 4 lakh badhenge. Toh aap samajh sakte hain hum kahan par hain?
Isi system se ladai karte hue mujhe itne saal ho gaye hain. I say it with a lot of pride that I got a lot of films, big films, but I said no to them because they treated those doing secondary roles as secondary citizens. Whether it is about the level of amenities or the level of pay.
That was my fight. That's why I tried that either I don't say yes to multi-starrer or if I do them, I make sure that the amenities that the others are getting, I also get the same. Self-respecting aadmi hoon.
In this tale of your struggle, I think a defining moment was the film 1971. You had told me earlier: 'Isko dekhne ke baad Anurag Kashyap ne aur mere bahut saare doston ne kaha ki this was the best film on the Army they had seen. Aur uske baad na uss film ki tickets sell hoti hain, na uss ko kisi awards function mein koi tarjeem di jaati hai toh bahut... I wouldn't say it broke me, but yes, it taught me a big lesson. Ki yaar agar ab kuch bhi karna pade, naachna pade Juhu Circle pe jaa kar toh woh bhi karenge, humko compete toh karna hi padega... Humari jaisi film ki koi jaankari nahi milti hai public ko, aur nah hi woh jankari lene ke liye kahi jayenge.'
It is very difficult for small films to compete in this industry. Chhoti filmein achha bhi kar rahi hoti hain toh unke shows ghata diye jaate hain. Meri apni film - Aligarh ho, Bhonsle ho, Gali Guleiyan ho - main khud dekhne nahi jaunga subah 9 baje. Toh main audience se kaise expect karunga ki jo exhibitor ne time diya hai 9 baje ka meri chhoti si film ko - woh audience dekhne jayegi?
Ye jo pura system hai - it is so flawed. And it is so dominated by hierarchy - ki ismein compete karna bahut mushkil kaam hota hai. Lekin mere bahut saare aise actors dost hain - unko jab main ye kehta hoon ki tum ye sab ladai lado toh kehte hain ki sir, hum log aapki terah nahi hain na.
Lekin main isliye ladta hoon kyunki main gaon se aaya tha. Aur main saara samaan le kar aaya tha toh ab wapis ja bhi nahi sakta hoon. I have no other option in my mind, but to fight - fight to survive, fight to showcase my talent.
Post COVID - ye pura system jo hai woh hil gaya hai, uske foundation hil gaye hain, power centre hil gaya hai industry mein.
Coming back to your first thing - lekin hamare liye toh late ho gaya na! Lekin saath hi saath main ye dekhta hoon ki kitne saare talent iss industry ne barbaad kar diye - some of them became alcoholic, some of them ended their lives.
When I look at all of that - I feel blessed and grateful ki at least upar wale ne, darshakon ne aur kuch ek directors ne mujhe woh jagah di jiska phal mujhe mil raha hai. Mujhe ek position diya - so, I feel grateful about it.
Talking about 1971, uski journey jo hai bahut hi inspiring hai. When the film released, the distributor couldn't even put up a poster outside any cinema hall. Aur mera manana hai, ya aap Anurag Kashyap se ja kar bhi puchhiye, jin logon ne bhi film dekhi thi uss samay - unhone kaha tha ye Hindustan mein banne wali best Army film hai.
But the film met a terrible fate. When we went to promote it, we were told there's no one in the theatre, so if you sell the tickets, people might buy.
If you are in this profession, toh haar maan kar kya kar loge? Kaun aap ke sar pe haath rakhega? Haar maan liya toh iska matlab jaiye phir!
But that is not the option. The option is to be here, and to keep fighting, to keep fighting to do good work.
That fight was, however, difficult for your director right?
After 1971, the film's director (Amrit Sagar) went into depression. When the National Award submission was announced, I was at a party in Delhi. An official told me Manoj ji aapki koi film hai toh bhej do submission ke liye. When I called the director, he said, 'mujhse aage se aise mazak mat karna yaar!' Daant diya usne mujhe woh itne depression mein tha. Maine uske father ko keh kar ke film ko submit karaya. When 1971 got two National Awards (Best Film and Best Audiography in 2007), maine apne director ko phone kiya toh woh rone laga gusse mein - ki tu mere saath itna bura mazak kyun kar raha hai. Sochiye aap kitna toot chuka tha woh!
During the pandemic, he called and said, '1971 ko toh koi dekh nahi paya. Isko hum log YouTube par daal de?' Usne creative bheja, maine khud daala, usko promote kiya. It became the first digital blockbuster (in India). 50 million views in no time. No time.
That proves that there is a lacuna in the system. There is a flaw in the system where we don't celebrate, we don't promote good work. We don't.
Personal level pe, individual level pe, media ka ek-ek aadmi, audience ka ek-ek jagrook aadmi decide karta hai toh woh bahut kuch badal sakta hai.
Akele actor aur creative log nahi badal sakte hain. Woh ek hi cheez kar sakte hain - tikey rahein.
Lekin, main aapk bataoon hum yahan tike hue hain. With or without your support, with or without your best wishes - hum tike hue hain. I am personally here - even after 32 years. I am here - working, fighting and fighting to do the work - all the time.
I would be a better director than an actor-Shahana Goswami
8:06 AM
Despatch actor Shahana Goswami says she harbours aspirations to take a seat behind the camera; is fascinated by narratives that “explore human dynamics”
Priyanka Sharma (MID-DAY; December 17, 2024)
It's been a while since actor Shahana Goswami has been entertaining an idea. “I want to direct,” she says at one point in this conversation, recalling the time she wrote a short film that she was set to helm.
“I was living in France and wrote a short film in French, which I was going to direct. But, when I was supposed to start looking for funds, I had to return to India for work. Then, I never found the opportunity to make that film there,” Goswami recalls, adding that she is eager to give wings to her directorial dreams after being made aware of her talent by the directors she has worked with.
“The directors I have worked with in the last eight years have told me I should direct, even though they never knew I wanted to. It is my calling. I would be a better director than an actor. It was always part of the plan. I had the dream of inhabiting characters, and also creating a canvas. I have a [good] visual sense and love taking photographs. I enjoy the audiovisual space,” says Goswami, who features in the Friday release, Despatch, directed by Kanu Behl.
As her if she has a script in mind, and she responds in the negative. However, she is aware that narratives like Despatch, which explores the “shifting dynamics” between individuals, appeal to her. “If I direct anything, this theme will be at its core.”
Pointing to the manner in which Behl crafted his characters in the film, she says she liked that they weren’t depicted as a “a rosy couple, right at the beginning”. “You [directly] see them in an unstable [relationship]. It tells you so much about the equation. I like things that are not expressed through words.”
(Crisp) Movie Review: DESPATCH by FENIL SETA
11:05 AM
Despatch, which has released today on Zee5, is the story of a journalist, whose marriage is on the rocks, and who is all set to unearth India’s biggest scam. It is inspired from a real-life journalist’s life and is very well researched and detail. It is directed by Kanu Behl of Agra and Titli fame; he’s known for executing confrontational scenes with panache. Despatch is no exception and a few such scenes take the film to another level. At the same time, however, the narrative gets very complicated and messy after a point. Its 155 minutes long and yet, it gives a feeling that we have seen a 3.30 hours plus film. The director leaves a few important questions unanswered and hence, one feels mixed emotions when the film ends. Manoj Bajpayee, however, makes the film watchable with his performance. Shahana Goswami has limited screen time but she rocks the show despite essaying such a challenging character. The other prominent ladies in the film – Arrchita Agarwaal (Prerna), Rii Sen (Noori) and Hansa Singh (Nisha Lodha) – also thoroughly impress. Mamik Singh (Silva), Kabiir Sadanand (Wadhwa), Salim Siddiqui (Ameel bhai), Dilip Shankar (Rajdass; lawyer), Amit Srikant Singh (Softlayer manager) are there for just one scene and yet, they leave a huge mark. Veena Mehta (Joy's mother) and Riju Bajaj (Somak Majumdar; Joy's boss) lend able support. All in all, Despatch has several plus points but because of the long length, complicated narrative and weak second half, it sadly turns out to be an average fare.
My rating - ** ½ out of 5!
My rating - ** ½ out of 5!
I was struggling to do intimate scenes for the camera-Manoj Bajpayee
10:36 AM
Bringing a crime journalist’s story to the screen with Despatch, Manoj Bajpayee on his skepticism about doing sex scenes and being convinced by director Kanu Behl
Priyanka Sharma (MID-DAY; December 5, 2024)
Can an actor be surprised by the possibilities of their own craft after a 100-film career? Manoj Bajpayee doubted it. That is, until he worked with director Kanu Behl on Despatch. “After a point, you stop knowing what all is buried in there. You need a passionate and visionary [filmmaker] like Kanu, who can see those aspects in you that you haven’t even thought about,” starts the actor.
Written by Behl and Ishani Banerjee, Despatch tells the story of a crime journalist who chases a high-stakes story even as his personal life is falling apart. Saying yes to the ZEE5 project came easy to Bajpayee as he trusted that the director, who helmed the acclaimed Titli (2015), would bring a novel approach to the thriller.
“I knew Kanu would dwell on something else, even if the format is of a thriller. He’d walk into the dark areas of the character,” says the actor. His faith has paid off now as multiple screenings of the film have begun. “The way Shekhar Kapur and some of my own people—whose opinion I value and who helped me grow as an actor—responded to the film made me happy.”
But shooting for the movie was not all about happiness. If there is one aspect that Bajpayee found difficult to reconcile with, it was shooting intimate scenes. ‘Is it necessary?’—that was the actor’s first reaction when he learnt about their presence in the storytelling. “At the initial stage, I told him, ‘I just want to know. Is it necessary?’ I wanted to know his [thought process] behind it. He came up with his answer, and I was quite okay with it. [That said], how I was going to be [while shooting it] was the question. By nature, I am a very shy person. I was struggling to do the scenes for the camera. But that wasn’t evident to my director or to anyone else.”
Bajpayee praises his co-star Shahana Goswami on this count. He recalls being in awe of her approach to the scenes. “I wanted to be like her because she wasn’t only doing that scene or playing it sexy, but also depicting the mental state of the character. That was quite fascinating to me about her as an actor,” he says.
If event films are just a circus, eventually the audience will reject them-Kanu Behl
8:12 AM
As Despatch premieres at MAMI Film Festival, director Behl on researching the murders of Gauri Lankesh and several journalists for the crime thriller
Priyanka Sharma (MID-DAY; October 21, 2024)
On Saturday, director Kanu Behl’s Despatch had its Indian première at the MAMI Mumbai Film Festival. But the filmmaker’s journey of the Manoj Bajpayee-starrer began in 2016 as he, with co-writer Ishani Banerjee, set out to explore the world of journalism.
“Stories about journalism often end up being one-dimensional—there are God-like protagonists fighting to break a story. I always felt that a better understanding of how the world looked from the inside was missing. I had been toying with the idea, and it criss-crossed with so much violence happening with journalists, starting with Gauri Lankesh. The world around us was changing so much. So, I decided to do a Faustian piece about a journalist, who is breaking a story, but not only with an altruistic purpose. Ishani and I dove into eight-nine months of research, looking into several cases of journalists getting [killed].”
While writing the protagonist, Behl didn’t have Bajpayee in mind. But after the script was complete, the actor became his first choice. “Manoj was the first person I went to. As a director, you are always looking for collaborators who are in love with cinema. Manoj is in love with the art of filmmaking. It’s amazing that he has had a trailblazing career, and yet he approaches every film with that impulse.”
Months ago, Bajpayee had told mid-day that working with Behl was challenging (Kanu is a difficult and tedious director, Aug 20).
Mention this to the director and he laughs, “As a director, it’s my job to push the actor in a new territory. Often, films feel staccato because they are done from a pedestal where the filmmaker [operates from]. The moment you accept that you don’t know everything as a director, it gives the film freedom. Some days, you don’t know what you are doing, nor does the actor. My job is to make myself and my actors feel a little lost once in a while. It’s only from there that something new emerges.”
Since his first film, Titli (2015), Behl has championed indie cinema. Even though event films are dominating the scene, he is unfazed. “If you see the films that have re-released now like Tumbbad [2018] and Khosla Ka Ghosla [2006], they might not have done box-office numbers at that time. The audience only sees the emotion of a film. Post COVID, the world has changed so much. Cinema is being turned into more of an event, but I have faith in the audience. If event films are just a circus, eventually the audience will reject them and ask for something that [moves] them.”
The suspense from Amazon is killing the The Family Man team-Manoj Bajpayee
8:10 AM
Manoj Bajpayee on waiting for the third instalment of The Family Man and his future line-up
MID-DAY (March 25, 2022)
National Award winner Manoj Bajpayee says like fans, the team of his web series The Family Man is also waiting for the streaming giant Amazon Prime Video to announce the premiere date of its highly anticipated third season.
“The suspense from Amazon is killing the The Family Man team because for now we don’t have an answer,” said the actor. The second season of The Family Man, which premièred last June, was lapped up by viewers. The first season, which debuted on the OTT platform in late 2019, also received glowing reviews.
Bajpayee has a packed slate ahead with projects like Gulmohar, Kanu Behl’s Despatch, Joram with his Bhosle director Devashish Makhija, and Pahaadon Mein, and Soup, a Netflix series, his third collaboration with director Abhishek Chaubey after Ray and Sonchiriya.
“I’m currently shooting for Gulmohar and I finished Dispatch recently. I’ll start shooting in May for Joram. Then there is a film Pahaadon Mein by Raam Reddy that I have completed. There’s also the series, Soup for Netflix with Abhishek Chaubey. I think next year is going to be busy. People will either be entertained or get tired of me,” the actor, 52, added.
On Wednesday, Bajpayee turned showstopper for designer Samant Chauhan, a fellow Bihari and “a friend whom I have known for so many years”. “I have done theatre for so many years, but wearing something designed by Samant Chauhan is a big thing. Also, when I face the crowds, I not only feel uncomfortable but also a little embarrassed,” he said.
Describing his style as “casual and comfortable”, Bajpayee said he prefers jeans and T-shirt for his day-to-day use.
Manoj Bajpayee busy till end of 2023; has 10 days of shoot left on Abhishek Chaubey's next
8:15 AM
As he shoots back-to-back projects, including Chaubey’s next, Manoj says busy date diary won’t allow him to sign new films till 2023
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; January 19, 2022)
Blame it on the backlog of films created by the second wave of the pandemic and newer offers coming his way, but Manoj Bajpayee is staring at a hectic 2022. The actor wrapped up the shoot of Raam Reddy’s yet-untitled project and Kanu Behl’s investigative thriller Despatch in 2021. Before he could take a breather, he dived into his next with Abhishek Chaubey. The yet-untitled project, which reunites him with the filmmaker after their gritty Sonchiriya (2019), will see him sharing screen space with Konkona Sen Sharma.
Bajpayee kicked off the shoot in early December. “The drama also stars Sayaji Shinde, M Nassar and some well-known actors from the south film industry. The shoot was recently put on hold after Mumbai witnessed a surge in Coronavirus cases. But Abhishek has informed the unit that as soon as the cases are brought under control, he will return to the set. Manoj has 10 days’ work remaining on the project,” reveals a source. Post that, it will be time for the actor to join forces with Rahul Chitela — who previously served as Mira Nair’s assistant — for his directorial debut.
Bajpayee admits that the frenetic pace can be overwhelming at times. “With the commitments I have, it will be hectic till the end of 2023. I have to finish all the films I have committed to. Only for this reason, I have stopped reading new scripts and taking narrations. At this point of time, I don’t have dates,” says the actor.
I have stopped reading new scripts. I don’t have any more dates-Manoj Bajpayee
8:56 AM
Rishabh Suri (HINDUSTAN TIMES; December 31, 2021)
Actor Manoj Bajpayee’s OTT series was among the most talked about shows of 2021. The Family Man is among those rare shows, whose second season became more popular than the first one. And the actor calls the public reaction “overwhelming”.
“The manner in which people received it, and spread the word… New audiences also came in. Season one was a runaway success. And then because of the pandemic, people again were stuck at home, so those who had not watched season one, they watched it and came to the second. It took us all by surprise, the manner in which it was received globally. We all are very happy,” says Bajpayee, who has had a very hectic 2021. The 52-year-old actor has been shooting back to back for new projects. He also had several OTT releases this year, including Ray, Silence… Can You Hear It? and Dial 100.
“With the commitments I have in hand, it will continue to be hectic till the end of 2023. I am supposed to finish all the films I have committed to. It is exhausting, but I can’t help it. And it’s only for this reason that I have stopped reading new scripts. I don’t have any more dates,” he says.
While the year had professional highs for him, he had to face some personal lows too. He lost his father, contracted Covid-19 and the shoot of his film Despatch had to stop due to Covid-19 cases on set. He says, “You can’t compensate for your parents, that’s something one has to live with. I am learning to live with that.”
I felt alone during the National Awards; my wife and daughter were supposed to be there-Manoj Bajpayee
8:09 AM
Humbled to have received his third National Award, Manoj says win would have been more memorable if family was in attendance
Upala KBR (MID-DAY; October 27, 2021)
There was a bustle at New Delhi’s Vigyan Bhawan as the top brass of Bollywood collected to receive the National Awards on Monday. For Manoj Bajpayee, who took home the gong for Best Actor for his performance in Bhonsle at the ceremony’s 67th edition, the experience, although sweet, could have been more memorable.
“I felt alone,” says Bajpayee, who lost his father on October 2. “On wonderful occasions such as these, people celebrate with their loved ones. My wife [Shabana] and daughter [Ava Nayla] were supposed to be there. But, I was rushing from Kerala to attend it, so they couldn’t come with me. I missed my parents a lot. My father was such a film buff! He would keep a track of everything that I have done, including every award and honour that I received. He would be very proud of every achievement. So, while attending the function, I felt a mixed bag of emotions.”
After Best Supporting Actor (Satya, 2000) and Special Jury Award (Pinjar, 2005), this win marks Bajpayee’s third National Award. He acknowledges that in an industry that is becoming increasingly competitive, with each act outshining the other, winning this title is nothing short of an honour. “The title is bestowed upon you by jury members who are celebrated in their respective fields. If they honour you and your work that year, you can only accept the compliments with pride and humility, and shrug it off your shoulders and prepare for the next day’s shoot.”
In the pipeline for him are three mammoth projects, including one for Kannada director Raam Reddy, and Kanu Behl’s thriller, Despatch, a direct-to-OTT release. “Raam’s movie is going to be quite an experience for the audience to witness. He’s only 29-years old, but when he starts talking about philosophy, his views leave me spellbound. Kanu is a challenging director to work with. You have to be [mentally prepared] to work with him. He is brutal and may dislike every take. These young guys are making me grow, and I am going to work with them all the time. I don’t want to become [complacent]; I want to grow as an actor.”
Bajpayee is also shooting for Abhishek Choubey’s Netflix movie. “I have done two movies with him — Sonchiriya and Ray. He has many great ideas on approaching an act. Working with him is like attending an acting workshop.”
---------------------
The actor on winning his third National Award and catching up with the legend
Titas Chowdhury (HINDUSTAN TIMES; October 27, 2021)
After bagging two National Awards for Satya (1998) and Pinjar (2003), actor Manoj Bajpayee received a third on Monday, as he was honoured with the Best Actor award for his performance in Bhonsle (2018). He reveals that each time he goes up on the stage to accept the award, memories of his first win come rushing back. And while winning the top award is always special, this honour is more special for the actor.
“It feels even better when you win awards for films that are close to your heart. We wanted to make this movie for a while, but we weren’t getting money from anyone who could produce it. It took us four years to make Bhonsle. So, it definitely means the world to us. It’s kind of a poetic justice that has happened to the film,” he says.
The ceremony held at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi will remain a fond memory for the 52-year-old actor, as it also gave him the opportunity to interact and exchange notes with other artistes. Quiz him about meeting superstar Rajinikanth, who was bestowed the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, and Bajpayee says, “Rajinikanth sir is a legend and I’ve always looked up to him for the journey he has had. He came from a humble background and created such a big name for himself. He treats everyone with a lot of humility. I spoke to him. It had nothing to do with cinema, but spirituality.”
Talking about his interaction with actor Dhanush, who also won the Best Actor award, he says, “I had a long conversation with him. We shared our thoughts on the films we like and his films that I’ve watched. He’s a remarkable young mind doing some remarkable films.”
I contracted Coronavirus due to somebody else’s carelessness-Manoj Bajpayee
8:03 AM
Promoting Silence from the confines of his home, Manoj Bajpayee says he is “frustrated” about testing positive for COVID-19 despite following safety norms
Uma Ramasubramanian (MID-DAY; March 19, 2021)
Over the past week, Manoj Bajpayee and wife Neha have been quarantining at their Andheri home, their daughter Ava Nayla a few rooms away. The actor, 51, who tested Coronavirus positive last week, says his first priority is to ensure his daughter’s safety. “She is kept away from us in the same house. It has been a difficult time for us, knowing that we have our little one at home,” he says.
Bajpayee was shooting for Kanu Behl’s Despatch when he was diagnosed with the virus. The film’s shoot was immediately brought to a halt. Only a few days earlier, the director too was down with the infection. One to believe in being safe rather than sorry, the actor says he practiced caution over the past few months as he dubbed for The Family Man 2 and filmed Despatch. “I have followed protocols to the T. I have given dates to people shooting back-to-back. I feel frustrated when this happens [not because of] my fault, but due to somebody else’s carelessness.”
Currently on the road to recovery, he emphasises the need to stay vigilant. “We don’t have any symptoms now, but [the disease] is unpredictable. Suddenly, it throws up some symptoms or [body] pain. It’s better to be careful.”
Work, however, hasn’t stopped for Bajpayee. He is promoting the upcoming ZEE5 release, Silence: Can You Hear It? from the confines of his room. The actor, who plays a cop investigating a murder case, says he is glad that director Aban Bharucha Deohans gave him an opportunity to explore the mystery genre. “My character is a quick-thinking guy, and has a quirky sense of humour, which attracted me to him. I have always been choosy [about my projects]. There have been a few [choices] that didn’t go down well, but I embrace all my bad decisions.”
I felt challenged by the rigorous workshop for Despatch-Manoj Bajpayee
8:01 AM
Manoj recounts his three-week prep in isolation before kicking off shoot for Kanu Behl's Despatch
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; March 10, 2021)
Manoj Bajpayee dabbled in digital content long before it became a rage. It's hardly surprising then that he has greelit another direct-to-web film, Despatch, directed by Kanu Behl. Buzz is that the actor went on a digital detox, prepping in isolation for three weeks before he began shooting for the film last months.
Refusing to discuss the film's premise, Bajpayee says that he opted for strenous prep as the subject demanded it. "Despite years of conducting workshops in acting institutes and participating in hundreds of them, I felt challenged by the rigorous workshop for this film," he says.
In 2020, he juggled both medium - where Mrs Serial Killer was a Netflix film, Suraj Pe Mangal Bhari became the first Bollywood film to hit screens post the Coronavirus pandemic. The actor says that Despatch's digital premiere doesn't alter his approach to the subject. "Every film I have shot recently will premiere on web though the initial agenda of each movie was to target a theatrical release. But theatres are taking their own time to regain normalcy. OTT platforms are running parallel to theatres and shouldn't be pitted against them. The purpose is to reach as many as possible collectively."
Manoj Bajpayee will also produce and star in long-time collaborator Apurva Asrani's directorial debut. "To me, he is family. I am waiting for him to call me once his final draft is ready."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)