Interview | Manoj Bajpayee: I am purely an actor

The day I meet Manoj Bajpayee, he is battling a bad cold. Despite that, he powers through media interactions with the help of medication and his passion for his craft shines through. The National Award-winning actor is excited about his upcoming movie Aiyaary, in which he has donned many disguises for his role as Colonel Abhay Singh. In a freewheeling chat, he talks about working with director Neeraj Pandey once again, his process as an actor, and why it’s necessary to keep coming up with good content to earn respect. Excerpts…

The trailer gives us a glimpse of the many disguises that you sport in the film. How exciting was it for you? The make-up process must have been quite time-consuming?

It’s tedious, but it’s not a gimmick. That’s why the movie is titled Aiyaary. Neeraj sticks to the storyline and its requirements. Frankly, it’s difficult to come up with different kinds of physicality and mindset for every character. It’s not child’s play. But everything was worked out by Neeraj. He had a clear vision about which character comes when. I just had to be patient to go for the trial-and-look tests repeatedly. And do it all over again when the film was being shot. It’s torturous, but that’s our job (shrugs).

Do you have a favourite among them?

I am purely an actor. Everything that I do is my favourite. Colonel Abhay Singh is different with different people. The role was challenging and I took it very seriously. For me, portraying a character is not about liking or disliking it, it’s about meeting a challenge that’s thrown at you.

You have worked with Neeraj so many times now that there must be a comfort factor...

We have known each other for six-seven years but if you think that he makes my life easy, then that’s not true. He is a hard taskmaster. He is extremely clear about all the characters in his films and he doesn’t compromise on them. Sometimes, he takes your suggestion but most of the times, he flatly refuses them.

As an actor, my job is to fulfill all the expectations that he has from me. But it’s always a learning process with a director like him. His clarity of thought is something that you are scared of. You can’t fool him. You have to be ready with your explanations, answers, and excuses.

This is the first time you are working with Sidharth Malhotra. His kind of cinema has been very different from yours. How was it working with him?

It’s admirable for someone like Sidharth, who is from Delhi and a pure outsider, to make a place in mainstream cinema. Here, most people who are successful are somewhere related to each other. In that kind of a world to establish himself only calls for admiration.

After averting a clash on January 26, Aiyaary and Pad Man will release on the same day now...

We didn’t move to avoid a clash with Pad Man. When Padmaavat came in, our producer very wisely decided not to crowd January 25 and chose February 9. We changed the date with a heavy heart because our movie is about the army. It was announced seven months ago before we even started shooting. We had to choose another date because suddenly there were three movies on that day. Now, Pad Man is coming with us. If two films open in cinemas simultaneously, there’s no concern. But yes, three will definitely be a crowd.

What is your criteria while choosing a film? Do you look at the script, role, director, or production house?

I’ve always focused on a director and script. Now, I’m keen to work with new directors. Devashish Makhija, who is helming Bhonsle, met me with the script three-four years ago. I was looking for a producer for it. He had directed me in a short film called Tandav; his talent is unparalleled.

It won’t be wrong to say that the work, which you started with films like Satya and Shool, has in a way paved the path for actors like Irrfan Khan and Nawazuddin Siddiqui. Do you think that all of you have managed to break the dominance of stars?

I don’t know whether or how much we have managed to do so but it has definitely made a place for those who believe in portraying characters on screen. There are actors who believe in associating themselves with the content and not just one genre. I’m so happy that the actors that you’ve just mentioned have made a place for themselves. It was a long struggle, but I’m happy that it’s peaking now. It’s only going to peak further. It will do a lot of good for the industry. See, quality gets you respect from all over the world. Commercial cinema is necessary to get money, but to get respect, it’s necessary to keep coming up with good content and giving a chance to the talent whose craft and skill is immaculate.

Actors like Pankaj Tripathi consider you as their role model. He once said that after finding your shoes in a hotel room, where he worked before becoming an actor, he kept them with himself. How does it feel like to be inspiration for such artistes?

Yes, he told me about it, too. I found it very funny because I kept looking for those shoes and wondered where I had lost them. He told me about it when we were shooting for Gangs of Wasseypur, I was amused and flattered. When talented actors like Pankaj talk about me in such high regard, I feel blessed and grateful. I want them to keep doing good work and not compromise on their passion. Sometimes, you will get good money, sometimes you won’t. Keep your needs limited, so that you can go on doing good work.

While good content seems to be important, movies like Aligarh and Newton are often ignored at popular award shows..

It doesn’t affect me as an actor, but if award shows aren’t nominating deserving candidates, then it reflects badly on them. They are not damaging my credibility. It’s essential for them to recognise who is deserving. By not doing so, they are not making fun of Rajkummar Rao or Newton as these have already been recognised world over.

Did Aligarh bring the spotlight back to your work?

In our career, there will be films that will bring the spotlight back. Actors like me endeavour to look for great roles and portraying them to the best of our ability. At times it’s noticed, at times it’s not. But when we keep doing it, we are definitely going to turn heads at some point or the other because that’s our passion. We believe in portraying a character in its totality and giving it the respect that it deserves.

In a recent interview, you had said that you want to act in a play...

Yes, I do. I’m taking a break after August. Hopefully, then I will concentrate on doing a play.