Getting real: Manoj Bajpayee wants to produce

Real stories and realistic characters have become Manoj Bajpayee’s forte. Whether it’s his role as Sardar Khan in Gangs of Wasseypur that was based on the coal mafia in Dhanbad or him essaying a naxalite leader in Chakravyuh, Manoj has been the most sought-after actor when it comes to realistic portrayals. Even his forthcoming films like Special 26 inspired by a real-life jewellery heist has him essaying a CBI officer and in Shootout At Wadala he plays a real gangster Shahid Ibrahim. The actor seems to easily slip into the skin of these characters. “Yes, realistic films have followed me and I feel great being a part of them. However, these portrayals take a lot out of you. Even after the shoot of Gangs of Wasseypur was over, I couldn’t come out of the character. It took me a while because people either feared me or loved me. For my role in Chakravyuh, I lost a lot of weight, I was almost starving because most of the people in the background cast as comrades were from small villages and as their leader, I couldn’t have been looking well-fed,” smiles Manoj.

For his role in Special 26, in which he plays a man who doesn’t take defeat lightly, Manoj has borrowed his mannerisms and body language from his friends in the CBI. “They think they are a superior lot to the police and their body language reflects that,” says Manoj, who dubs the film as a light-hearted, smart thriller, “the likes of which you have never seen before”.

Manoj, who catapulted to fame as Bhiku Mhatre in the gangster film Satya followed it up with powerful roles in Shool and Pinjar among others. After that, he faced a lull for some time. It was Raajneeti that gave his career a fresh lease, followed by the highly acclaimed Gangs of Wasseypur. Since then he hasn’t looked back. “Yes, this is a good time but this too shall pass. You can’t be on a high all the time,” he philosophises. However, he is extremely glad with the films he has done and that are being made. “The world has shrunk and there is exposure to international cinema. Today’s directors are product of this age and they know that if they have to compete internationally, it’s important to make a film that is rooted, based in our villages and small towns, which is why why you see so many realistic films,” explains the actor, who wants to produce one such film himself. “Production looks possible only if I get loads of money,” he laughs.