Showing posts with label Manoj Bajpayee. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Manoj Bajpayee. Show all posts
Divya Dutta joins Manoj Bajpayee as antagonist in Rana Daggubati-backed Last Man In Tower adaptation
8:44 AM
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; April 15, 2026)
Producer Rana Daggubati is going full steam ahead on his next, a movie based on Booker Prize-winning author Aravind Adiga’s 2011 novel, Last Man In Tower. While Manoj Bajpayee was announced as the lead when the project was unveiled in November 2025, now there’s an addition to the cast. We’ve learnt that Divya Dutta has been roped in to play the antagonist in Ben Rekhi’s directorial venture.
Set in a Mumbai housing society, Last Man In Tower revolves around a teacher who refuses to sell his flat to a real estate developer when the building is under consideration for redevelopment. Through the story, Adiga explored themes of greed, ambition, and urban development.
Dutta’s character is expected to be central to this conflict. A source told mid-day, “Divya’s antagonist isn’t one-note; she is shown as ruthless and calculative, but there is also vulnerability to her. This film thrives on tension between her and Manoj’s characters.”
The adaptation is currently in development, with Rekhi and the team aiming to take the project on floors in the second half of 2026.
The source added, “Constant redevelopment of residential properties that builders undertake for their profits is a reality of our times. The story is just as relevant today as it was in 2011.”
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.
It will be very stupid not to use AI-Ram Gopal Varma
9:20 AM
Ram Gopal Varma, who wrapped his Manoj Bajpayee-led ‘Police Station Mein Bhoot’, says he is eager to use Artificial Intelligence to his advantage in his future projects
Priyanka Sharma (MID-DAY; March 20, 2026)
Months ago, Manoj Bajpayee told mid-day that his next, Police Station Mein Bhoot, would be a “creative shock” as filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma had evolved significantly (Ramu sees me differently from others, November 9).
When we met Varma recently and mentioned that his leading man was all praises for him, he smiled before replying, “He enjoyed shooting this film with me. I think he saw a different side to me because we had worked together before as well.”
The horror comedy is the latest collaboration of the duo, who earlier teamed up on Daud (1997), Satya (1998), Kaun (1999), Shool (1999), and Sarkar 3 (2017).
Evolution is necessary for an artiste seeking longevity in his career. Varma would be among the first to agree with that. Recently, at a film festival in Mumbai, the director spoke about embracing Artificial Intelligence (AI) in filmmaking. Naturally, we asked him if he would use it in his future films.
“Any technology will enhance the craft of filmmaking. It will be very stupid not to use it because people tend to resist any new technology.”
AI has certainly given rise to apprehension in many, including actors. The fear extends to filmmakers as well, noted Varma. “All the big-budget filmmakers are scared because a tool like Seedance [AI video generator] is creating sequences for a few dollars that hundreds of crores of rupees cannot do.”
So how does he plan to protect himself and not become a slave to AI? “You can be a slave only when it requires you. I don’t think AI needs you, to begin with.”
Jo peeche baithe hain unhe uthana hai aur mainstream mein lana hai-Pankaj Tripathi
4:37 PM
Sara Siddiqui (BOMBAY TIMES; February 27, 2026)
Amid chants of “Pankaj bhaiya”, Day 2 saw a packed stadium eagerly waiting for Pankaj Tripathi, who arrived late but made up for it with his wit. In conversation with theatre director Santanu Bose, he shared humorous anecdotes and kept students engaged during his session titled Nautanki. As students shouted “Kaleen bhaiya” – his character from Mirzapur – in response to the moderator’s question about his favourite role, he laughed, “Arre usse bhi achche achche kaam kiye hain!” He said his personal favourites are characters from Masaan, Newton, Criminal Justice and Gunjan Saxena, which he feels reflect his own personality.
Addressing the students of DU, Pankaj said, “Bhool toh nahi gaye hamein? Mera khud ka sapna tha ki DU mein admission mil jaaye par mere number achhe nahi thay. Toh NSD mein mil gaya. Main bhagyshali hoon ki saahitya utsav mein nimantran mila hai. Koshish karenge ki kuch prerna de aapko. Aapki umar aisi hai ki prem aur prerna ki badi zarurat hoti hai.”
‘Jo peeche baithe hain unhe uthana hai aur mainstream mein lana hai’
The actor’s journey from Bihar to Delhi and then Mumbai has inspired many. “Mujhe chinta hamesha uski hoti hai jo line mein peeche hota hai. Jo aage baithe hain woh privileged hain, jo peeche baithe hain unhe uthana hai aur mainstream mein laana hai. Jaise ki hum kataar mein bahut peeche thay,” he noted.
When asked about his next project, students from the crowd responded on his behalf, prompting him to quip, “Inn logon ko yaad hai, mujhe toh yaad bhi nahi. Lekin yeh batao, imtehan kab hai tumhara?”
‘Jab bhi life mein conflict aaye, samjhna ki woh situation kuch sikhane aaya hai’
Pankaj named late actors Om Puri and Irrfan, along with fellow actor Manoj Bajpayee, as his inspirations. “Manoj bhaiya ki journey se inspire huye ki nadi ke uss paar ka ladka abhineta ban sakta hai toh iss paar ka bhi ban sakta hai. Hamari nadi ke uss paar tak koi pul nahi tha. Toh usme insaan ya toh complain karta hai ki suvidhaaye nahi hain ya phir tairna seekh jaata hai. Jab bhi life mein conflict aaye toh samjhna ki woh situation kuch sikhane aaya hai, ek behtar insan banane aaya hai,” he said.
‘Gen Z bahut aage hai’
He also delighted the audience by using the popular Gen Z slang “delulu” when asked to share a message for the generation, adding, “Koi sandesh nahi hai, aap log bahut aage hain.”
Speaking about playing negative roles, he said, “Koi sirf acha hai ya sirf bura hai, aisa nahi hai. Main duniya ko waise nahi dekh paata hoon. Mujhe har bure vyakti mein kuch achhai dikh jaati hai. Bahut human cheez hai. Main bure kirdaaron ko bhi uss tareeke se dekhta hoon.”
Emmanuel Macron and I talked about our indie cinema crisis-Manoj Bajpayee
8:32 AM
Manoj Bajpayee, who met French President Emmanuel Macron, says the leader welcomed ideas on how a collaboration between the countries would aid Indian films
Upala KBR (MID-DAY; February 19, 2026)
Currently on a three-day visit to India, French President Emmanuel Macron and First Lady Brigitte Macron spent the afternoon of February 17 with artistes of the Hindi film industry. The luncheon was attended by actors Manoj Bajpayee, Anil Kapoor, Shabana Azmi, Richa Chadha, filmmakers Zoya Akhtar, and Neeraj Ghaywan, among others. Bajpayee, who was invited by the Consulate General of France in Mumbai to be part of the interaction, has walked away touched by the French President’s keen interest in the arts.
Talking to mid-day, he shared, “The French President believes in the soft power of art. He wanted to meet the representatives of this film industry, mainly those who belong to the middle-of-the-road and independent cinema. President Macron is most graceful, and informal in his conversation. He gave complete attention to everyone who had a suggestion about the exchanges that can take place [between France and India].”
France, over the decades, has had a rich movie culture where independent cinema thrives. In contrast, indie films in India struggle to co-exist alongside the big-budget mainstream entertainers. That, Bajpayee revealed, was a key point of discussion as they spoke about cinema bridging the two countries.
“We talked about the crisis that independent cinema is facing in our country, and how the collaboration can help its growth. France is known for pursuing storytelling in its purest form. When you have a country like this, you know every suggestion is being paid heed to.”
Ghooskhor Pandat row escalates; FWICE seeks ban
10:20 AM
The Manoj Bajpayee-Neeraj Pandey project has triggered strong objections, with FWICE demanding a ban as protests and legal action follow
Natasha Coutinho (HINDUSTAN TIMES; February 9, 2026)
The upcoming film Ghooskhor Pandat, starring Manoj Bajpayee and directed by Neeraj Pandey and Ritesh Shah, has sparked controversy over its title since its announcement last week. What began with objections on social media has escalated, with the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) calling the title “offensive and derogatory” and demanding a ban.
The row has since spilled into the political and legal arena. A writ petition has been filed before the Delhi High Court challenging the show’s proposed release, alleging that its title and promotional material are defamatory and communally offensive. FWICE has also written to OTT platforms and producers, arguing that the title singles out a particular community and its traditional livelihood in a manner that could hurt sentiments and disturb social harmony.
“FWICE is absolutely against making a mockery of any community,” says Birendra Nath Tiwari, president of the union. “We are demanding not just a change of title but a ban on the film, because the intent is evident in the title itself. Such things may have been tolerated earlier, but they are unacceptable today.”
He added that if the release is not stalled, FWICE will issue a non-cooperation notice against the producer, director and cast. “It is shocking that someone like Neeraj Pandey would make a film like this and that Manoj Bajpayee agreed to be part of it,” Tiwari said, also calling for mandatory registration of OTT titles to prevent such controversies.
Responding to the backlash, Manoj Bajpayee shared a statement on social media on Friday, saying he respects the concerns raised. “When something you are part of causes hurt, it makes you pause and listen,” he wrote, adding that his decision to do the film was driven by the character and its journey, not a commentary on any community. He also said the makers have taken down the promotional material in light of public sentiment.
The makers of the film, including Neeraj and Ritesh, as well as the OTT platform, did not respond to queries till the time of going to press.
PROTESTS AROUND STATES
The film’s title has also triggered strong political protests in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, with members of Brahmin organizations demanding a ban and alleging that the project targets a particular community. In Uttar Pradesh, the state government ordered the registration of an FIR against the film’s director over the title. Effigies of the filmmakers and actor Manoj Bajpayee were burnt at multiple locations.
The Family Man creators Raj-DK reveal that Jaideep Ahlawat’s character name Rukmangadha came from their childhood slang
9:57 AM
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; November 23, 2025)
The new season of The Family Man opens in festive Kohima, Nagaland — celebrations cut short by a blast that triggers further explosions across the state. The scene shifts to the Tiwaris during the griha-pravesh of their new home, setting the tone for season three of what has become India’s biggest OTT spy franchise. It arrives almost four years after the previous instalment, and creators Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK admit that expectations and pressure have only grown.
“There’s no real conviction when you start writing,” DK laughs. “You’re constantly aware that the target is already 350 runs ahead. The attempt is always to outdo your own previous season, and that’s a huge mountain to climb.”
Before they tackled geopolitics and narrative twists, the duo found joy in naming their characters — none more so than Shrikant Tiwari. Raj explains, “The whole idea was James Bond is so cool especially when he says, ‘My name is Bond, James Bond. You can never do, ‘My name is Tiwari, Shrikant Tiwari’,” he laughs. “So the idea was to be the opposite of the cool and suave we see on screen.”
They loved the term ‘Shri’. “In our heads he was ‘Shri agent’, like a respected agent. That word meant a lot to us.” Jaideep Ahlawat’s Rukmangadha comes from their childhood slang. “In Tirupati, whenever someone was ajeeb and undefinable, we would call them Rukmangadha,” Raj recalls.
Nimrat Kaur’s Meera reflects the contrast of Meera Bai — purity positioned inside the murky world of arms dealing. “We wanted that contradiction.” Raj likens it to outlaw nicknames like Babyface — soft on paper, deadly in reality.
Raj & DK say new cast members Kaur and Ahlawat have expanded their vision. DK notes, “We imagine the character first, but a great actor comes in and expands what we’ve imagined. They bring their own spice, internal logic, and the show grows because of it.”
Season three also pushes scale and action. Raj says Manoj Bajpayee and Ahlawat’s commitment to driving their own action scenes, removed the need for camera cheats. “The shot literally travels from Manoj to Jaideep on a moving vehicle and we needed that authenticity. The scale, ambition, and stakes are bigger.” They also place familiar characters in unfamiliar terrains, creating new dynamics.
With parts of the season set against the backdrop of the recent Northeast conflict, they emphasize balance. DK says, “Our idea has always been to build fiction on top of real incidents — things inspired by newspaper headlines. But at its heart, The Family Man is entertainment. That comes first.”
Manoj Bajpayee on taking a break post The Family Man 3: "I don’t like to be this busy, but I never complain"
9:26 AM
Upala KBR (MID-DAY; November 4, 2025)
Fielding multiple offers and shooting for back-to-back projects can be gratifying. But it also can be exhausting. Ask Manoj Bajpayee, who has worked at a break-neck pace all through 2025, shooting for The Family Man 3, Police Station Mein Bhoot, Inspector Zende, and a yet-untitled film with Divya Dutta. Now that his last offering of the year, The Family Man 3, is ready for release, the actor is looking forward to taking a well-deserved break.
A three-month break, Bajpayee told us, as we got on a call when he was returning from a long day of shoot. “I have completed almost all my shoots, and now I will start promoting The Family Man. After that, I have taken three-four months off work as I was working round-the-clock. I completed four-five projects in the past one year. I don’t like to be this busy, but I never complain. Since the past three years, good work has been [coming my way], so why let it go? My funda is to keep on working as long as there is good work,” he said.
Even as he terms it a break, Bajpayee can’t really stay away from films for too long. The actor admitted, “During the break, I will read scripts, take meetings, and wrap up other professional commitments.”
But for now, it’s all about The Family Man 3. The Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK-created series has given the actor arguably one of his most popular characters — the sharp but unassuming intelligence officer Srikant Tiwari. Anticipation is already building around the spy thriller’s third edition that also stars Jaideep Ahlawat and Nimrat Kaur, alongside series regulars Sharib Hashmi and Priyamani.
What can we expect this time around? “While the first and second seasons were intense, this season has a lot of family sequences — interactions, conflicts, and organic humour stemming from their lives. It’s grittier, far more thrilling, and humorous,” he said.
Characters’ evolution is a given in long-format storytelling. Will the audience see some changes in Srikant Tiwari? He reflected, “Characters mature in creative works of art, and you can expect that from directors like Raj-DK and an actor like me. They are so good at storytelling and digging into every character’s nuances.”
Divya Dutta and Manoj Bajpayee to star opposite each other for the first time in upcoming project
3:39 PM
Komal RJ Panchal (MID-DAY; November 2, 2025)
They’ve shared screens, sets, and soirées — but never the same frame. After three decades in the industry, Divya Dutta is finally starring opposite Manoj Bajpayee in their yet-untitled upcoming film — a wish long on her list. Although they’ve shared credits in four films, “this will be the first time we’re truly featured opposite each other”. “It was lovely because half my year was spent working with him,” she says.
Describing her interaction with Bajpayee, Dutta says that whenever they discussed work, they would often digress towards food, a love they both share. “It’s nice to have known him more closely now, beyond being co-actors who would just cross paths on set. We have a certain relatability and connect, and he’s a fabulous actor. Even when we were exhausted from shooting late nights, both of us would stay back to give cues to each other. And if you ask what we discussed the most — it was food! He’s such a foodie. He loves to cook and feed people, and he cooked a lot for me,” shares the actor.
After wrapping up her collaboration with Bajpayee, Dutta will be seen in the romantic drama Tum Rahe Na Tum, opposite Jimmy Sheirgill. She’s also working on a new project with Neeraj Pandey. But what excites her most is Echoes Of Valour, co-starring Neeraj Kabi, a festival favourite that premièred at Venice Film Festival.
“It’s a beautiful love story between a husband and wife. Jimmy is a terrific actor. Working with such co-actors is always enriching,” she adds thoughtfully. She also has a big show coming up with JioHotstar. “I can’t talk much about it yet,” she teases, “But I’m very excited. I feel like I’m doing everything an actor should be doing.”
Reflecting on her journey with quiet gratitude, Dutta believes that “enjoying in the now gave her a lot”, but that doesn’t dim her hunger for better roles. The actor is especially pleased with the changing narratives around women in cinema.
She elaborates, “There was a time people said married actresses couldn’t romance heroes or look glamorous. But look at Kareena [Kapoor Khan], Vidya [Balan], Alia [Bhatt] — they’ve changed that narrative. We’re now telling stories about what happens after ‘happily ever after’. Women in their 30s and 40s can play both younger and mature roles — it’s a beautiful phase..”
I’m a struggler and I have no shame about it-Manoj Bajpayee
9:56 AM
Akash Bhatnagar (HINDUSTAN TIMES; October 17, 2025)
Having been a part of the industry for over three decades, Manoj Bajpayee has dabbled in various genres. Just last month, the actor featured in the indie film Jugnuma and the satirical comedy Inspector Zende. Up next, he is set to reprise his role in the acclaimed series The Family Man 3. However, there is still one genre he hasn’t yet explored and is eager to step into.
“I would love to act in a VFX-heavy film because I really don’t know how to act in front of a green screen. Many people tell me it’s quite a challenge and requires a specific technique. But I’ve never done it, apart from using that for anchoring or hosting a documentary. So, it would be very interesting,” the 56-year-old shares.
Filmmaker Om Raut, who produced Inspector Zende, is known for making such technologically-driven films, with Tanhaji: The Unsung Hero (2020) and Adipurush (2023) in his repertoire. Recently, he had mentioned wanting to direct Manoj in a film, and the actor himself is looking forward to it.
“I used to go and sit next to him during the shoot and ask for a role in his next. I’m a struggler and I have no shame about it. I’m always hustling for a great role. He’s been telling me [that he wants to direct me] but he can always change his mind since he lives in Bandra and has many actors in his neighbourhood,” he laughs.
With The Family Man 3, Manoj returns to play the secret agent, Srikant Tiwari. This is just one of the many roles he’s played as an officer of the law, the most recent being Inspector Zende. Ask what pulls him towards such roles and he says, “It’s not that I want to play a man in a uniform. It’s always about who’s wearing the uniform, what he’s doing, where he’s coming from, his upbringing and the factors that have made him who he is. Such aspects interest me much more than the exterior facets.”
You can’t even name five mainstream filmmakers who are united-Nikkhil Advani
9:53 AM
Rohan Kanawade, Nikkhil Advani
Priyanka Sharma (MID-DAY; September 24, 2025)
Rarely does this emotion strike filmmakers, but when it does, it hits hard. Nikkhil Advani experienced it — that feeling of a filmmaker reminding you of your younger self — when he watched Rohan Kanawade’s Sabar Bonda. “Rohan is the filmmaker we set out to be 30 years ago. But along the way, we had to take other decisions,” he says. “The purity with which Rohan has made the film is beautiful.”
Sabar Bonda tells the story of Anand, who, while navigating the grief of his father’s demise, finds love in Balya. The Marathi film has Advani, Vikramaditya Motwane, Sai Tamhankar, and Nagraj Popatrao Manjule as its executive producers. It’s notable how the movie brought several filmmakers together. Not a rare phenomenon, according to independent producer Shiladitya Bora, who recently told us that mainstream Bollywood filmmakers have more unity than their indie counterparts.
But Advani disagrees. “You can’t even name five mainstream filmmakers who are united. In the 1990s, 44 Aram Nagar was Sudhir Mishra’s office where all of us — myself, Tigmanshu Dhulia, Irrfan Khan, Manoj Bajpayee, Anurag Kashyap — used to hang out. Today, there’s more unity among indie artistes because their struggle is the same.”
As an executive producer, Advani is happy to nurture Kanawade and hopefully ease some of his struggles. Asked whether he felt almost envious while watching the director’s work, and he admits, “When I saw Aligarh [2016], I said, ‘Wow! Hansal [Mehta], what have you done?’ When we saw Udaan [2010], we were like, ‘Who is Vikram!’ I want to be jealous of [good] films when I see them.”
Advani, who made his directorial debut with Kal Ho Naa Ho (2003), knows that preserving one’s voice is far from easy. For Kanawade, he has a simple advice.
“He has to learn from me. I made Salaam-E-Ishq [2007] as my second film. My [approach] was that since nobody is giving me credit for my first love story, I’ll make six love stories. The decision was wrong because it was [born] out of arrogance. But you have to tell yourself, ‘I won’t go against [my instincts]’.”
Manoj Bajpayee reveals what's stopping him from stepping into South Indian cinema
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Priyanka Sharma (MID-DAY; September 17, 2025)
Even before Manoj Bajpayee’s Jugnuma opened to rave reviews, it found support from filmmakers across the country. While Anurag Kashyap and Guneet Monga Kapoor presented Raam Reddy’s directorial venture, several South filmmakers, including Vetrimaaran, Lijo Jose Pellissery, and Nag Ashwin, unveiled the film’s trailer on social media. When we caught up with Bajpayee before the movie’s release, he expressed gratitude for his peers’ support.
“All of them are friends. Whenever I’m in Chennai, I meet Vetri. I admire his films. There is also [Thiagarajan] Kumararaja from Chennai, and so many makers from Karnataka and Kerala. We connect because our choices are the same,” he said, giving a special shoutout to Kashyap for bringing the filmmakers together to rally behind Jugnuma.
In the last few years, the lines between Hindi and regional cinema have blurred with many Bollywood actors teaming up with South filmmakers. Can we expect a collaboration between Bajpayee and these filmmakers, considering the actor’s cinematic sensibilities match with them?
“Their only complaint is that I don’t know the language. Otherwise, we are all mutual admirers. In fact, I would love to associate myself with Vetri,” said the actor.
Every word of Manoj Bajpayee carried so much weight and wisdom-Akshay Oberoi
8:30 AM
Akshay Oberoi, who recently wrapped up his next with Manoj Bajpayee, says the actor’s lesson about backstories stayed with him
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; September 16, 2025)
Akshay Oberoi had many incentives to feature in writer Ritesh Shah’s directorial debut, from his meaty role to the opportunity to team up with Neeraj Pandey who serves as the producer. The biggest incentive, however, was working with Manoj Bajpayee. Having recently wrapped up the thriller that went on floors in April, the actor says sharing screen space with Bajpayee was nothing short of a masterclass.
“I have always looked up to Manoj sir for the honesty and intensity he brings to every role. On set, I made it a point to keenly observe his process, the nuances he adds, and the effortless way in which he breathes life into his characters. More than anything, I valued the conversations we had off-camera — the kind of advice he shared with me about acting. Every word carried so much weight and wisdom,” says Oberoi.
One piece of advice has stayed with Oberoi, something that he plans to incorporate in his future projects. The actor explains, “The way Manoj sir crafts the backstory taught me that sometimes it’s what you don’t do on screen that leaves the strongest impression.”
The yet-untitled thriller also stars Saqib Saleem.
Manoj Bajpayee feels the country's top film awards need to be corrected: "The systems must look within"
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Ahead of the release of Jugnuma, Manoj Bajpayee feels that the top film honours in the country need correction as he reflects on the National Award snub for Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai
Priyanka Sharma (MID-DAY; September 8, 2025)
Pondering about the past is not in Manoj Bajpayee’s nature. Why should he when the present holds so much promise? But, at a point in our chat, we take him back to Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai (2023), which won Deepak Kingrani the National Film Award for best dialogue. The writer had told mid-day, at the time, that he wished Bajpayee too had won the gong for his powerful performance. Did the actor wish the same?
“More than me, the people associated with the film were sad. I don’t feel sad because a few people [comprising the jury] have decided not to give it to me. They must have their own reasons, with which I may or may not agree. It has happened in the past, even at National Awards, where one truly deserved it, but didn’t get it. If I complain about it, I will sound like a loser. All the award systems in the country have to look within. They have to correct their system. I can’t correct it, right? I’ve moved on,” he says.
He certainly has moved on to a glorious project, Jugnuma — The Fable. Twice in our conversation, he mentions that Raam Reddy’s directorial venture sits right at the top of his three-decade filmography. That’s a huge compliment for the film, which also stars Priyanka Bose, Tillotama Shome, and Deepak Dobriyal.
Bajpayee shares, “Magic realism [was the first draw] to do the film because we don’t make this genre at all. Secondly, the spiritual part of the story spoke to me.”
Another reason was Reddy, who made his directorial debut with the acclaimed Kannada film Thithi (2016). The director and his crew persevered through two pandemic-induced lockdowns and some delays to bring Jugnuma to life. “Then Raam took his time to edit it. He is a purist,” Bajpayee chuckles, before adding, “He is full of ideas, and uncompromising.”
Jugnuma has reminded the actor how much he loves collaborating with relatively new directors. “The film matters to them more than their lives. Their demands are high. I like that push because it’s easy to be content at my age. But the actor in me is so famished all the time. I want to be part of stories told by all these young and imaginative filmmakers.”
But does he ever feel egoistic, given his experience as an actor, while being directed by a relatively inexperienced director? “The awareness is always there. It’s up to you how you push it back. I don’t take it seriously. I don’t even watch my films. I do my film and move on.”
I was pushed into directing Fiza after plans with Ram Gopal Varma fell through-Khalid Mohamed
9:31 AM
S Farah Rizvi (HINDUSTAN TIMES; September 8, 2025)
Fiza, released in 2000, celebrates its 25th anniversary today. On this milestone, the film’s writer-director, Khalid Mohamed, shares, “These 25 years seem like yesterday. Looking back, there’s a sense of self-fulfilment and pride.” He calls actors Karisma Kapoor a “dream to work with” and Hrithik Roshan the “most immersive” actor.
Khalid says he wasn’t meant to helm the film originally but was “pushed into directing” after filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma, the first choice, didn’t work out. It was cinematographer Santosh Sivan who stepped in with a suggestion: “Why don’t you direct it yourself?” Later, Karisma also joined Santosh in encouraging Khalid.
Though Khalid had written screenplays for films like Mammo (1994), Sardari Begum (1996), and Zubeidaa (2001), directing had its own challenges: “Of course, there were some tough days, like when we didn’t have enough resources to show a large room.”
Funding was also major concern until a new producer came on board. “The film had been started with loans derived from friends by co-producer Pradeep Guha and myself,” Khalid explains.
Sharing how the music became a huge asset to the film, he muses, “I lucked out.” Anu Malik “was in his element”, and A R Rahman composed Piya Haji Ali for free. Gulzar’s lyrics for Aaja Mahiya also “worked wonders for the song,” Khalid adds.
Shabana Raza Bajpayee: My goal was to get more scenes
Shabana Raza Bajpayee recalls playing Shehnaz Sulaiman, Hrithik Roshan’s love interest in Fiza: “I remember when I got the narration of the story. I liked it so much, not just its canvas but the bunch of talented people who were involved .”
The 50-year-old actor reveals that her main goal during production was to get director Khalid Mohamed to broaden her role. “My only aim was to somehow persuade Khalid to increase my scenes, as I loved the story so much and, like any other aspiring actor, I wanted to be there in more frames,” Shabana explains, adding, “No one could deter him even a bit from the original plot.”
She also reflects on working with her husband, actor Manoj Bajpayee, who played Murad Khan. “Manoj had a small but memorable role,” she says, adding, “Every character was an anchor to the story in their own way; that’s what makes the film more special.”
Ask anyone who won a National Film Award last year, and most won’t remember-Manoj Bajpayee
4:11 PM
Sonal Kalra (HINDUSTAN TIMES; September 6, 2025)
Actor Manoj Bajpayee is making waves for his trademark knack of playing middle-class men and turning the ordinary into unforgettable stories in his latest release, Inspector Zende. Now, he is reuniting with filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma after 27 years.
Manoj, 56, joined Sonal Kalra, Chief Managing Editor, Entertainment and Lifestyle, in this week’s episode of The Right Angle with Sonal Kalra, and opened up on the money struggles of actors across mediums, and how passion, not validation, drives him.
If someone wants to be the next Manoj Bajpayee, what do they need to do?
Very difficult shoes to wear (laughs). I’ve been crazy about acting since I was 10 and I still am. I’m not giving any gyaan, nobody wants that. [But] today, too, I feel every great role should only come to me and no one else. If you want to buy a nice car, live in a nice house, wear good clothes, or tour the world through your acting, don’t go for it. The ratio of people who achieve that is very low. The passion for your work must always be present. If you want to act because without it you might die, then come.
You’ve received many awards. Have you ever felt bad about losing one?
That’s very difficult to judge. Ask anyone who won a National Film Award last year, and most won’t remember. But they’ll remember Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai and Joram (both 2023) as great films, even though they didn’t get any National Awards. What matters to me is how great the films are and how proud I am of my work. Awards are for one evening; your work will be remembered. You can’t get an award to validate your work; if you are doing that, it’s a great injustice to yourself and your films.
OTT stars have the same fame as theatrical stars, but when will they be paid like them?
I never get paid (laughs). And nowadays, even those in theatres aren’t getting paid like they used to because of the risk and budget constraints. On OTT, I’ve been busy for seven years. The biggest advantages are out-of-the-box stories and actors getting respect, and writers and directors getting employed; it’s a win-win situation for all of us, including the platforms. Theatres are slowly making a comeback, but budgets are lower. I really want all mediums — films, OTT, and satellite — to do really well. If they do, there won’t be a monopoly, and that will only be good for filmmakers, actors and all creative departments.
Fans are excited about you reuniting with Ram Gopal Varma after 27 years. What was it like?
I’ve finished one schedule, and I am completely zapped. He is the real OG (laughs). This guy has not gone anywhere; he is going to be back, and how! Ramu’s ability to go beyond anybody’s imagination as a filmmaker, his courage, and his audaciousness have not changed! But he has become very inclusive. Unlike the Ramu I saw and experienced during Satya (1998), Shool (1999) and Kaun? (1999), this one is like a three-year-old kid in a candy store. And even today, he sits down with you and tells you what has gone wrong with him in all these years. The output so far is mind-blowing. A director like Ram Gopal Varma can always come back and throw you out of your alignment; he is that kind of talent.
Which of your roles is closest to your heart, discounting their commercial success?
I’ll be the last person to keep the commercial thing in mind. Very few films of mine have been theatrical hits (laughs). My own personal favourites are Gali Guleiyan (2017; Prime Video) and Budhia Singh (2016; Netflix). Of all the cop roles, Inspector Zende is the most chilled out and realistic. And Jugnuma; I’ve spent seven years on this film, and it is now about to release. It started filming before lockdown, and when we went back, the Delta variant of Covid hit. Somehow, we completed the film. It had a great festival run. That film is very close to me, like Inspector Zende.
The trailer of Inspector Zende looks very interesting. Tell us something about him.
Inspector Zende is a celebrated police officer in Maharashtra for some impossible tasks he accomplished, but the rest of India doesn’t really know him. (Producer) Om Raut’s father always wanted a film on him because he caught an international criminal. But as we researched, we realized his story couldn’t be told as a grim film because he’s such a chilled-out man. I’ve been told he never fired his pistol, yet solved incredible cases — releasing trapped police officers, rescuing people from the mafia. His life deserved this tribute.
Was the team concerned about humour diluting the seriousness of the role?
Nobody is trying to create a comedy here. But everything that will happen will compel you to laugh. Zende was a regular 48 or 49-year-old middle-class man with a team of lower-middle-class policemen. Before their Goa mission, nobody had ever been on a flight. In Goa, they had to blend in but the team doesn’t even have money, so they took an accountant to track expenses. That leads to a very comic thriller. None of us is trying to be funny, but the way things unfolded is very funny.
I’m daring enough to call out all the filmmakers who don’t think about me-Priyanka Bose
3:56 PM
Priyanka Sharma (MID-DAY; September 6, 2025)
Priyanka Bose’s wish is the universe’s command. After watching Thithi (2016), the actor desired to collaborate with National Award-winning director Raam Reddy. Years later, Reddy sent the script of Jugnuma over to Bose, saying that he had imagined her in the role of Nandini.
“I read the script in the hill station of Panchgani, when we had gone to drop my daughter to a Lonavala hostel. Raam had written the script like a book. It made me travel through the world he had created and spoke to me. Good work is hard to come by for an artiste like me. So, when something of such a crafted nature comes, I’ll be foolish to say no,” she says.
Another wish of Bose that Jugnuma fulfilled was sharing screen space with Manoj Bajpayee, an actor she has admired since his Satya (1998) days. Working with him made her realise how different their styles are.
“My approach is technical, and I get wrapped in the nitty-gritty of nuances. Then to observe Manoj, who is so free, is interesting. I have so much more to learn from him. I love his beginner’s mindset,” she shares.
Jugnuma, which did the rounds of many film festivals, also validates Bose as an actor, who observes that the industry cuts short the careers of women after they hit 40.
“I’m daring enough to call out all the filmmakers who don’t think about me. I’m telling them, ‘If you’ve not thought about me yet, please do because I’m right here.’ I want to do exciting things that you’ve never seen women do in cinema, because we’re so easy to drop from that shelf. But we created that shelf with you. So, why is there a shelf life for women? In our 40s, we are more explorative and experimental than men ever will be.”
Ten people placed their trust in me because Irrfan Khan, Manoj Bajpayee etc paved their way-Viineet Kumar Siingh
8:54 AM
‘Rangeen’ actor Viineet Kumar Siingh says the rise of Manoj Bajpayee and Rajkummar Rao, who pursue craft over commerce, empowers artistes like him
Priyanka Sharma (MID-DAY; August 4, 2025)
A jilted husband-turned-gigolo is a role that Viineet Kumar Siingh had never been offered before. Naturally then, given his pursuit of novelty, the actor was immediately drawn to Rangeen. “I love to experiment. Just reading three episodes of Rangeen, I was sure I wanted to do it,” he smiles.
But before he said yes, the actor wanted to ensure he could trust the makers. The series, which also stars Rajshri Deshpande and Taaruk Raina, is created and written by debutants Amardeep Galsin and Amir Rizvi. “The subject is so sensitive that I needed to consider the people associated with it. I saw that Kabir Khan sir [producer] was there, as was Amazon Prime Video,” he says.
Rangeen tells the story of a woman who is stuck in an unfulfilled marriage and gets involved with a gigolo, which in turn makes her husband reevaluate his life. With the show examining the loneliness of the three prime characters, we ask Siingh whether he experienced loneliness over his two-decade career. “When you come to a city like Mumbai, your beginning itself is with loneliness,” he candidly shares. But to him, it’s not a disadvantage. If anything, he believes the sense of isolation can become an armour for an artiste.
“That emotion remains alive inside you and gives you strength. Your spirit will break, and so will your trust every day. This field shines from the outside, but there is emptiness, loneliness, and unemployment, until you create an identity as an artiste. You have to fight that fight alone. There are times when a role that you could do passes you by, but you have to be happy and headstrong.”
Evidently the actor speaks from his personal experience. Having started with smaller roles and finally landing a leading part in Mukkabaaz (2018), he enjoys a stronger position in the industry today with mainstream entertainers like Jaat and Chhaava behind him. He credits the actors before him, who made their craft their singular focus and rose to prominence, for making his path easier.
“It’s a long list — Irrfan [Khan] saab, Naseeruddin [Shah] saab, Nawazuddin [Siddiqui], Manoj [Bajpayee] bhai, Rajkummar [Rao], Vicky [Kaushal], and Vijay [Varma]. Ten people placed their trust in me because these actors [paved the way]. If such actors — whom the audience trusts and finds relatable — have gone ahead in their careers, they’ve helped me knowingly or unknowingly.”
Ram Gopal Varma, Manoj Bajpayee's horror comedy Police Station Mein Bhoot to go on floors on July 26
9:17 AM
Upala KBR (MID-DAY; July 23, 2025)
One of the best things we heard this summer was Ram Gopal Varma’s announcement in April that he was reuniting with Manoj Bajpayee for a horror action comedy titled Police Station Mein Bhoot. Three months since, it’s time for the filmmaker-actor duo to head to the sets. mid-day has learnt that Varma will call action on the film from July 26 in Hyderabad, where they will shoot for a month.
When it comes to the duo, expectations are sky high, especially since they gave us the iconic Satya (1998) that catapulted Bajpayee aka Bhiku Mhatre to overnight fame. Several promising films followed — from the underrated Kaun (1999) to the cop drama, Shool (1999). This time, they are attempting a new genre together as they tell the story of Bajpayee’s cop, who kills a notorious gangster and is possessed by him in turn.
A source reveals, “Manoj will begin shooting Police Station Mein Bhoot at a bungalow in Ameerpet in Hyderabad. The bungalow will be converted into a police station. Ramu has written a wild story that sees how Manoj’s character transforms from an honest cop to a maniacal one after he is possessed by the gangster’s spirit and the police station becomes haunted.”
Police Station Mein Bhoot, which also stars Genelia Deshmukh as Bajpayee’s wife and Rajpal Yadav, will be shot over four schedules.
The source adds, “After the Hyderabad leg, the remaining schedules will be conducted in parts of South India. Ramu wishes to wrap it up by the year-end.”
We are fortunate to have actors like Om Puri, Manoj Bajpayee, Irrfan Khan-Nawazuddin Siddiqui
9:38 AM
Niharika Lal (BOMBAY TIMES; June 23, 2025)
Nawazuddin Siddiqui, whose cinematic journey began in a theatre in the remote village of Budhana (Uttar Pradesh), believes that Indian cinema’s global recognition has been largely driven by independent filmmakers. With their work being appreciated in Europe, this acknowledgment, he feels, was long overdue and keeps him anchored to the kind of cinema he has always loved – from Naseeruddin Shah’s powerful performance in Sparsh (1980) to Irrfan’s in The Lunchbox (2013).
“These films, performances, and my theatre training shaped me into the actor I became,” he says. In conversation, Nawaz speaks to us about the deep impact films have had on him.
‘BERLIN HO YA CANNES YA VENICE, ITNE LOG AATE HAIN SIRF CINEMA KE LIYE’
According to Nawaz, film festivals expanded his vision of what Indian cinema could be. Sharing that he has been in screening rooms from Venice to Berlin, where audiences come for cinema, not spectacle, Nawaz says, “Berlin ho ya Cannes ya Venice, itne log aate hain sirf cinema ke liye. You go there, watch films from around the world, and then you see the ones that went from India, aur tab lagta hai ki ‘Thank God! Hamare yahan se bhi itni achhi filmein gayi hain.’ Even if they didn’t run in India, even if people here didn’t know about them – they worked globally.”
He adds, “Be it All We Imagine As Light (2024) or The Lunchbox – these films went on to become global phenomenon.”
‘OUR INDEPENDENT FILMS ARE MORE APPRECIATED IN EUROPE’
This year, Neeraj Ghaywan’s Homebound made it to Cannes. Payal Kapadia was on the Cannes jury. About the growing global recognition of Indian indie films, Nawaz says, “Indian cinema ko global level pe kisi ne crack kiya hai toh woh independent directors ne . Most of our commercial films are preferred by Indian diaspora and Middle East. But in Europe, our independent films are more appreciated.”
‘I keep going back to Dilip Kumar’s films and Naseeruddin Shah’s Ijaazat, among others’
Nawaz reveals he has always been a cinephile, drawn to movies by actors who pushed boundaries. “There are so many films I keep going back to Dev Anand and Dilip Kumar’s films, Naseeruddin Shah’s Ijaazat (1987), Om Puri’s Ardh Satya (1983), Pankaj Kapur’s Ek Doctor Ki Maut (1990). Yeh filmein main baar-baar, hazaar baar dekh sakta hoon .”
For him, it’s not genre or director, but the power of performance that links them. “It’s the actors,” he says. “Hamare country mein aise actors ka hona, yeh hamari khushnaseebi hai. Naseeruddin Shah, Om Puri, Kamal Haasan, Manoj Bajpayee, Irrfan – they’re great actors.”
“The first film I ever watched in a cinema hall was Jaggu (1975),” Nawaz recalls, adding, “I must’ve been five or six. Hamare yahan toh Shatrughan Sinha bahut hi popular thay western UP mein.”
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