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He does not shy away from speaking his mind and appreciates those who dare to do so. Ahead of the release of his upcoming film Naam Shabana, Manoj Bajpayee gets candid in an exclusive interview with Koimoi and talks about why he has more flop films than hits in his career, why he does not get paid well, what defines stardom in the film industry, whether nepotism exists in Bollywood and more…
What is your role in Naam Shabana?
My role is that of an intelligence chief, Ranveer, who spots Shabana, trains her and then puts her on the job. He has a lot of faith and conviction in the girl. He is a person devoid of any emotion. He is a cut to cut, tough, on your face kind of a person. For him, nobody and nothing come before the nation and its security.
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What is the film all about?
People loved Taapsee’s brief role in Baby. That prompted Neeraj Pandey to write a film about her back story. It’s a spin-off, a first of its kind in India. When you investigate into her back story, you come across a very simple middle-class girl, who has her own life and struggles and how she gets selected by the agency. It’s all about the making of a spy.
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Where and when was the film shot?
We shot in Mumbai. My portions were in Mumbai mostly and then they moved to Kuala Lampur, Goa and other places. We finished shooting four months back.
The CBFC has made three cuts in the film before granting it a U/A certificate. Do you think the cuts are justified?
Yes they are justified. The producer and the director did not have a problem with it. So definitely they must be okay with the suggestions of the CBFC.
In a recent interview, you have thanked Kangana Ranaut for raising the issue of nepotism in Bollywood. Do you support her?
I neither support nor go against what she has said. All I want to say is that India is a democratic country. If somebody has an opinion about something, he or she should come out with it. I admire Kangana. Not only she is a self-made girl but she has made a huge name for herself. She is a very talented actress. I became her fan after watching Gangster. I don’t know her personally. I respect her for what she is. It’s not that Kangana is the first one to say this. This kind of conversation happens in this industry. Journalists also have an opinion on this, even though they’ll never say that openly. If somebody has spoken up about it, if somebody has expressed her opinion, kudos to her!
Does nepotism exist in Bollywood?
Tell me one role that I have done in my life, my career, which any star kid would have chosen to do. None! Because they are not looking for these kinds of roles for themselves at all! They have different aspirations. They look for a certain kind of stardom which my roles will definitely not give. So, I was never in competition with any star kid right from the beginning. They were never a threat to me. I am very grateful to all the directors and God that those second, third roles which I’ve done in my career, they have become very popular. I have never faced nepotism in Bollywood because there was no question of me facing it. About Kangana, she has struggled very hard and has reached where she is today, by giving her sweat and blood to her craft, her career. She should be appreciated for voicing her opinion, which not many would dare to, instead of being criticised for it.
In your career, you have always prioritised performance-oriented roles, mostly supporting roles. Did you never feel like becoming a hero?
Never. When I was doing theatre in Delhi, I realised that I am fascinated with this craft called acting. So, everything that I was doing, had to do with performance. I never felt the need or motivation to go and learn dancing or fighting. That never fascinated me. I realised very early in my life that acting is what I am meant to do, this is what I am supposed to do, this is what I am destined to do. God has been very kind to me for showing me the path that I should follow. In 23 years I am blessed with this space which is just mine. It’s a unique position that I have been granted with and I feel blessed for whatever I am today.
Does not being in the position of a hero, affect stardom?
If you are not going for a hero’s role, then definitely you’ll not become a star. By doing only performance-oriented roles, you’ll always be known as an actor and never a star. I was fine with that! If somebody says you are lying, who doesn’t want stardom, then I would like to say that had stardom come to me, it should have come through the roles that I have done. I was not comfortable with doing something else just to achieve stardom. I always wanted to leave a mark as an actor and I’m quite happy. I am not paid very well because of the restrained budgeted films that I do but I still do it because I am very passionate about the roles I’m given.
Often your films do not get commercial success but are critically acclaimed, like Aligarh…
Or Budhia Singh! I have more flops than hits. I can actually count my hits on my fingers but the list of my critically acclaimed films, which have not done good business at the box office, is pretty long.
Does this mean that box office success doesn’t matter to you?
It does not, it never did. I am here today not because of box office success, I am here today by God’s grace, because of the films and performances that I’ve done. I am the living proof that even flop films can make a career. (Laughs) Box office failure of a film does not determine the quality of a product.
Coming back to Naam Shabana, why did you choose to do the role?
You reach a stage in your life where the script and the kind of role become very important, but for me, another factor is relationship. My relationships with Neeraj Pandey and Shivam Nair, who is the director of this film, are priceless. When they wanted me to be a part of the film, I was mentally prepared that I will say yes no matter how big or small the role is. My first priority was to do the film for my friends.
What are your upcoming projects?
Sarkar 3, Missing, Love Sonia and Rukh— these are the films I’m doing as of now. I will be shooting another couple of films, one of which might release this year and the other might hit the screens next year.
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