It’s not a filmmaker’s job to give solutions: Manoj Bajpayee

14/08/2018

Manoj Bajpayee on his upcoming action-thriller and how he is ready to direct a film now.
After almost a month-long holiday in Los Angeles with actress-wife Neha and daughter Ava, Manoj Bajpayee is back in the city, gearing up for the release of Nikkhil Advani’s action thriller Satyameva Jayate. “This break was long overdue. My daughter’s vacation was on and we wanted to go where we hadn’t been before. We explored the City of Angels and had a blast,” beams the actor who enjoys spending time with his family and even helps with the household chores. “I also like to read, watch films and shows, and work out a bit.”
Getting back to work, the actor admits that the primary reason behind signing Satyameva Jayate, besides his role of DCP Shivansh, was the producer. “It is a story about two opinionated characters intelligently trying to outdo each other. I hadn’t done a massy commercial film in a while and this one was perfect. One doesn’t need to dig too deep to understand what’s happening,” reasons the National Award winning actor.
Is hardcore violence the way to tackle corruption and molestation, you wonder, and he agrees there are better ways. “But it’s not a filmmaker’s job to give solutions or show the right way.
He is just telling a story from any character’s perspective. In our film, one character is bound by duty and the other does not believe in that person’s duty and so the conflict.
What is right and wrong is for people and the law to decide, not filmmakers,” states Manoj, adding that being a peaceful person he could identify with the DCP.
The actor who turned producer with Mukul Abhyankar’s 2018 psychologicalthriller Missing is now producing Bhonsle which revolves around a retired head constable. “It’s a script that I’ve been a part of for four-and-a-half years.
When I couldn’t find a producer for it, I became one of the producers myself as it’s an important story that needs to be told. We’ll do the rounds of the film festivals and then release it theatrically next year,” he informs, adding that there are no other productions on his platter at the moment and he’d want to direct now. “The thought keeps crossing my mind but so far the acting offers have been so tempting that I couldn’t think about it seriously. But if there is a script that forces me to take a plunge, I’ll go for it.”
He will next be see in Love Sonia,a film about child-trafficking. “It’s shaped up well,” he smiles with satisfaction. There’s also Gali Guliyan co-produced by his Satyameva Jayate co-star Amruta Khanvilkar’s husband Himanshu Malhotra. “It is an internationally acclaimed film that has won several awards. I play a mechanic from Chandni Chowk whose psychological journey’s been the most difficult to portray but it’s also my best performance,” he raves.
An admirer of Abhishek Chaubey, Manoj is happy to have worked with the director in his next daku drama, Sonchiriya, also featuring Sushant Singh Rajput and Bhumi Pednekar. He plays a dacoit. “I have seen Ishqiya, Dedh Iskqiya and Udta Punjab only for Abhishek and loved them. What a director and storyteller!
Also, a great human being, someone I’d like to hang out with,” he says.

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