Actors like us are the working class and superstars are the capitalists: Manoj Bajpayee

15/02/2018

In times of diplomacy and political correctness, Manoj Bajpayee represents that rare breed of actors who speak their mind. From voicing his opinion on money-making films being mistaken for good cinema to how the shift of one release date has repercussions on other films, the National Award-winning actor says it like it is. He even reassures why he will always be happy being an 'actor', who may never achieve the kind of stardom that superstars enjoy in our country. Read on...
Despite winning critical acclaim and multiple awards, super stardom often evades solid actors like you. Do you think stardom and talent don't always go hand in hand, especially in Bollywood?
I am an actor and I am proud to be one. You are either born charismatic or not, you can't work on being charismatic. All superstars have the ability to command people's attention be it Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan or Akshay Kumar. When their films are releasing, people are not bothered about the subject; they are just concerned about their favourite star's movie hitting the theaters on Eid, Diwali or Christmas. On the other hand, we have to work extra hard to get people interested in our films. We have to talk about our subject, details, nuances and performances. Actors like us are the working class and they (superstars) are the capitalists (smiles!). I would love it if all my films get a great opening like their films do, but to get that, I will not leave my love for my craft and independent cinema. It has given me a wide variety of roles to evolve as a person and an actor.
But in the independent cinema space, you are a star...
(Laughs!) I won't say that, but yes, there are many actors who have earned a place in the industry purely because of their talent. Things are looking good for independent cinema and actors who are not here because of their charm or personality, but purely because of their performance.
Were you disappointed when 'Aiyaary' had to shift because of 'Padmaavat'?
It was 'Padmaavat's' disadvantage that they had to go through a lot in terms of threat and intimidation. That was sad and tragic, and it should not have happened. But if you look at the advantage, since the controversy didn't cease to die, the film became the talk of the town. Who is going to compete with a film that has been so widely discussed? We made our film with blood and sweat. Our director (Neeraj Pandey) was not even keeping well and yet, he pulled it through, purely because he believed in the film. We are proud of what we've made.
It was speculated that you took a dig at Akshay Kumar by supporting a tweet that questioned his 'generosity' and decision to avert a clash with 'Padmaavat'?
I didn't know that this tweet was referring to Akshay and you have to take my word for it. A journalist wrote a line (tweet) without naming anybody or anything, which I thought was interesting. It made me laugh, so I reacted to it with a laughter emoji. It was purely a reaction to the tweet, which I thought was relevant to our lives. But it was turned into something nasty, and once I realised that my intention was misconstrued, I deleted it. How can I take a dig at Akshay? He knows that I have immense respect for him. We've worked together, it was ridiculous.
Aiyaari' is your sixth film with Neeraj Pandey...
Yes, we have a great equation. Neeraj is a very private person, he is not the kind who attends movie screenings or goes to restaurants. He doesn't socialise much. Just like me, he has a set number of friends. We connect on various levels as our cultural and emotional values are similar. Also, I look up to him. He is a rare talent in mainstream cinema.
He excels in this genre (espionage thrillers) and films that revolve around covert operations and other incidents like it...
His research is extensive, but 'Aiyaary' talks about the working of an Army in a big city. It's a different film as it doesn't delve into the border conflict and goes beyond covert operations and army intelligence. It delves into the relationship between two army men and their difference of opinion.
Barring filmmakers like Neeraj, Anurag Kashyap, Hansal Mehta, Ram Gopal Varma and Prakash Jha, does the thought of why the other mainstream directors didn't work with you early on in your career, cross your mind?
I am too old for that. I genuinely feel that if a director thinks you are right for a role, he will come to you like Anurag did. I have known Anurag (Kashyap) since the time he was 22, and I always treated him like a younger brother, but today, I treat him like my boss. You have to give it to him for the manner in which he has evolved as a person and a filmmaker. Anurag, Neeraj, Hansal, RGV, Prakash Jha... they are my strength. As an actor, I need great directors and scripts.
Without that, actors are nothing.
Does it annoy you when you see commercial and independent cinema being compartmentalised?
I don't know why they call it commercial. When a genre is simplistic in its form, it's called mainstream, which is fine. Neeraj makes intelligent mainstream cinema. He not only caters to the intellectuals, but he also understands the sensibilities of a common man sitting somewhere in a small-town theatre. In my opinion, a bad film will always be a bad film even if it makes Rs 200 crore. Let's not say that a film is fantastic because it made Rs 200 crore. After two years, nobody is going to remember that film. We only remember good performances. A film is either good or bad. As artistes, we should only focus on the creative aspect of cinema, let the stats be handled by those in charge of it.

Share This Story


Comment On This Story

 

Photo Gallery

  
BSE Sensex
NSE Nifty