‘Gali Guleiyan has been my most difficult role’: Manoj Bajpayee

Manoj Bajpayee is among the rare breed of actors who surprises us with each performance. In his career spanning over two decades, he has lent his unique touch to diverse characters and straddled commercial as well as offbeat cinema adeptly. The actor, who is having a dream run at the box office this year, with as many as four releases, is now gearing up for his forthcoming film Gali Guleiyan. Directed by debutant Dipesh Jain, the pyschological drama is about Khuddoos, an electrician living in self-imposed isolation and battling his inner demons. His life takes a turn when he starts looking for a child, who is regularly assaulted by his father and feels that he should rescue him. The movie has already been screened at various international film festivals including the 22nd Busan International Film Festival, Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles, Atlanta Film Festival, 42nd Cleveland International Film Festival and Chicago International Film Festival. In a freewheeling chat, the 49-year-old, who recently bagged the Best Actor Award at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) 2018, talks to us about playing such a layered character and why this movie is close to his heart. 
Excerpts… 

What appealed to you about Gali Guleiyan? 

It’s a story that is untold on our Indian screens. It is about a man with a complex mind, who is scared to get out of his house and face people. My character, Khuddoos, is trapped in the lanes of old Delhi and in some way trapped in his own mind where he feels comfortable with all the puzzles that he is trying to solve. His only friends are the four walls of his home and the CCTV camera monitors that he has installed there. When I read the script, I realised each and every page was a revelation. It was like peeling an onion. You don’t know what is going to unravel in the next layer. I loved this element about the script and felt I should go ahead and challenge myself. 

What were the challenges that you faced while portraying such a character? 

Layered and nuanced are the apt words to describe Khuddoos. You are actually trying to understand a mind that is full of darkness, complexities and the deeper you dig in, the more you understand this person. That’s why this is the most difficult role I’ve done till date. Every time, I ventured further into understanding this character, I would discover more layers to him and then explore them further. So, the work continued till the end of the shoot. On the 28th day, I finally told my director to wrap up the shoot as I couldn’t do it anymore; I thought I was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Gali Guleiyan is an engaging film. It has been screened at more than 23 International film festivals and we had a few private screenings here. 

The response that we have received is phenomenal. After watching it, viewers don’t know how to come out of the world that they have just seen. That is the job of the story — to take you through the character’s journey and to expose you to the world that has never been seen before. 

How was the experience of working with a new director? 

Dipesh’s clarity is impeccable. He knew exactly how he wanted to shoot the film. He did a lot of research and prepared for this project. At the same time, he was open to seeing how the characters are moving and the actors improvising. He was ready to capture each and every movement of the actors. 

The trailer has received a good response and the movie has struck a chord with international audiences too. What’s the reason? 

It’s the story of a man people have empathised with. They were completely taken in by his life’s journey, the mental trouble that he has been going through. People could relate to these things and somewhere they were shaken up by the misery in the way he has accepted all the turmoil in his life. 

This has been a great year for you professionally. You have had as many as four releases till now… 

I feel lucky and blessed. The year started with Aiyaary which was one of the best performances of my career, followed by i, which was a blockbuster. Then came Missing, a psychological thriller which is doing well on an international streaming platform. My last film, Satyameva Jayate, is a sleeper hit; viewers were whistling and clapping while listening to my dialogues and now it’s Gali Guleiyan. It has passed the test of the international audience, now we are bringing it here for Indian viewers.  

Produced by Shuchi Jain of Exstant Motion Pictures, Gali Guleiyan will release in India and worldwide on September 7.