Manoj Bajpai has put his foot down and will not charge anything less than his worth. He tells Divya Kaushik that it’s time the industry pays character actors well
He doesn’t believe in coating sugar to what he says and saying things with a pinch of salt is not his style. Manoj Bajpai comes across as those rare actors who speak their mind without mincing words and manipulating thoughts. Be it the interesting phase Bollywood is going through at present or the kind of cinema he believes in, he gives an opinion on the basis of his experiences and as someone who has struggled hard to achieve a name in this industry. The actor feels happy that this phase where commercial and parallel cinema is finding an equal space and respect in Bollywood has finally arrived. “There has been coexistence of both kinds of cinema and there has been audience for both. But parallel cinema has gained a much wider acceptance now. And this change hasn’t come in a day, various actors have worked hard all their lives to see cinema in its present phase. Ace actors like Naseeruddin Shah and Om Puri have struggled to make world believe that even this cinema requires equal hard work and recognition. A major lot that came from Delhi to Mumbai with Bandit Queen has contributed a lot. Amongst my films I feel Satya played a prominent role in setting new trends in the industry. Also Satya gave us many excellent writers, directors and hope to many other young directors and writers who have a different approach to cinema,” said the actor adding that one change that is still awaited is the change in remuneration that actors in non-commercial cinema get. “It is tough to believe but the fact is that actors in non-commercial space are not offered enough money. Now there are a few actors like me who have put their foot down and we tell the producers and directors in a straight forward tone that there has been enough of proving ourselves, they need to pay us well,” he said.
The actor believes that commercialisation today doesn’t exist in terms of stories or way of filmmaking in Bollywood, but it is the casting of the film that makes a film commercial or non-commercial. “There are certain films that require a superstar and there is no denial that there are advantages at the distribution and promotion level that one gets through a superstar. The good part is that our industry today has directors who know what the script requires, even if it requires a superstar, they might go for one superstar and rest can be actors like me. Anurag Kashyap, I feel, is a director par excellence who understands what story needs to be told in what kind of budget and what kind of actors it needs. If he made Gangs Of Wasseypur with me as a lead in one part, he is also making Bombay Velvet with an actor like Ranbir Kapoor and if need be later he would again return to a small budget film without a superstar. So it is the style and treatment of the filmmaker that decides whether it will be a commercial or a non-commercial film,” he explained.
On why he has chosen to stay away from commercial films, he responded, “I have never been in a position to choose, I think the big banners have stayed away from me. They never chose me for their films. I don’t have any reservations to work with anybody provided the role and other terms are agreed upon.”
This year has been incredibly good for Manoj. After delivering two hits already — Special 26 and Shootout at Wadala, the actor is all geared up for his next big release, Prakash Jha’s Satyagraha. Manoj plays the role of the cunning politician in the film. “Prakash Jha narrated the role to me and I found it interesting to play a politician who is cunning, shrewd, sharp but has a very good sense of humour. He provides an essential comic relief to the script. This role I would say is an exception — as I have always stayed away from doing extremely villainous or good roles. I love playing characters with the shade of grey. But this one was challenging and I couldn’t say no. There are a few directors in the industry who know what kind of roles I would like to play and Prakash Jha is one of them, Anurag of course, I feel is a part of me,” said the actor who has mostly been a part of realistic films having an interesting social side to them.
“I feel they are my stories and I can easily make myself a part of them,” he added, saying he keeps himself updated on the social and political issues, but does he has plans to join politicsIJ “look at the political scenario of our country today and look at me, so you think that a simple guy like me who can’t pretend can ever do good in politicsIJ” he quipped.
After Satyagraha Manoj will be a part of Saat Uchakkey by Neeraj Pandey and a film by Endemol. We might see the actor turning to a producer soon. “I aspired to be a producer and I still have plans but don’t know how long it will take,” he signed off.