He is one of the finest actors that Indian cinema has seen, and the intensity that he brings to his on-screen persona has to be seen to be believed. Be it the unforgettable Bhikhu Mhatre in Satya or police inspector Samar Pratap Singh in Shool, Manoj Bajpayee has carved a niche for himself in Bollywood with his power-packed performances. Whether it’s playing a prince in Zubeidaa or the sophisticated villain in Aks, he can carry off any role with effortless ease.
However, not many of his films have managed to hit the jackpot in recent years. Is it because he has always consciously tried to play unconventional and realistic roles? “I agree that almost 90 per cent of my films have seen me play roles that are different from the run-of-the-mill movies. I love doing such films. But at the same time, I have been a part of commercial films like LOC: Kargil, Bewafaa and Money Hai Toh Honey Hai. Nobody can guarantee commercial success. I just try to be a part of good projects that I believe in and make value additions to them. I am extremely proud to have won two national awards (for Satya and Pinjar). As for film critics, there are one or two whom I hold in high regard, but the rest don’t matter to me,” he avers. His future projects include Acid Factory and Prakash Jha’s Rajneeti.
Interestingly, this versatile actor was rejected thrice by the National School of Drama, but never gave up and fought on to reach where he is today. “Hard work always pays. I have done a lot of theatre too and really enjoyed the medium because it offers so much scope for an actor. Our film industry is so star-driven that it’s very difficult for an outsider to survive. Apart from hard work, you also need lady luck to smile upon you. Here, unless you don’t ensure hits, nobody runs after you. Also, it’s quite true that there are no permanent friends or foes in B-town. In fact, I keep making friends every day,” he says. Manoj doesn’t want to talk about his much-publicised spat with ace director Ram Gopal Varma. “It was a great relationship which went sour and I am over and done with it.”
Given that he hails from Belwa, a small village in Bihar, city life has been a kind of necessity with which he had to adjust accordingly. “I have kept changing my house almost every year and like anyone else, I never feel at home living so far away from my roots. But then, in today’s world, everyone needs to move out to pursue professional dreams,” he says.
Being married to Neha (his actress wife) has certainly made things better. “I feel so glad to have married my dream girl, who means the world to me,” he tells us. While he would like us to believe that he is “an extremely lazy person”, Manoj is an active blogger and even writes plays. “I use my blog to vent out my frustrations about relevant social issues that draw my attention. As for my writing skills, you never know; an idea can trigger off my instincts and see me writing a script some day!” he says before signing off.
