When I think of Manoj Bajpayee, that one scene from Gangs Of Wasseypur where he runs with a knife towards his jeep and says “Hum first” comes to my mind. But there’s more to the actor than just this role. He is known for his intense performances where he gets into the skin of the character and portrays the role with a certain depth and authenticity that can be brought out only by him.
Recently, the actor conducted an AMA on r/Bollywood. He spoke about his acting choices, his beliefs, and even shed light on his latest film, Joram. The answers are truly one of a kind, just like the actor. Read on.
1. “How do you ‘marry the director’s mind’?” – Single_Echidna6186
It is all about the meeting and conversation with the director. It’s a relationship that doesn’t get established in one day. We keep exchanging notes, I try to understand his world, his vision, and once that is clear to me – where my character is placed, that is when I start getting along.
2. “Who inspired you to become an actor?” – fornoodles
Acting fascinated me when I was too young. My parents used to take me to watch films, and all my brothers and sisters used to tag along. Since I was in the 5th standard, the world on the screen used to mesmerize me. From that time on, I had thought of doing this when I grew up.
3. “What’s a character you would want to play again and why?” – The_dude1951
I never wanna play any role, again. I always find faults in my characters once the movie/show is out. I get miserable, but I know the time is gone, the age is gone and I cannot change things. So no point in being miserable.
4. “In your opinion, what’s the biggest change in Bollywood over the last decade?” – dramabaz
That they’re now depending a lot on scripts. When I started, scripts were not a thing. Secondly, a lot of female presence on the sets is seen.
5. “Will you ever direct a movie?” – SecretOwn9188
Never say never! You never know what destiny has planned for you.
6. “Any words of wisdom for youngsters?” – niteeda
I hate giving any kind of gyaan. Everybody has their own journey and you need to decide your own path. Do what you love doing, don’t choose anything under pressure. Be patient, give your 200%, and rest leave it to destiny.
7. “Do you believe that improvisation in scenes can bring more versatility to the character? Or sticking to the script is an ideal method?” – the_middle_child7899
You can’t improvise for the character if you are not familiar with the script completely. When one actor tries to dominate other characters, and when you are completely into the character, you will enhance the scene by improvisation.
8. “Ek kavita ya koi lines jo aapko bohot motivating lagti ho?” – Bubbly-Housing-393
Yaachana nahin, ab ran hoga,
Jeevan-jay ya ki maran hoga.
9. “Joram seems to be a father’s story. How was your connection with your father? Any funny anecdotes that have happened?” – parzival02032001
I simply adored my father. I have never seen a more gentle, more democratic person in my life! My mum was too authoritative, dad was not. He always took the back seat in the decisions, he only wanted his children to graduate, and after that, they could do anything they wanted.
10. “How did you get into the skin of Dasru’s character in Joram?” – Affectionate_Plum159
Everybody has asked me this and I can never answer it in 4-5 lines. All I can say is – everything starts and ends with the scripts. The approach I take is dictated by my interpretation of the character.
11. “When you read the script of Joram, what is the one thing about it that made you do it?” – Puzzleheaded_Roof872
It’s the father-daughter bond. That one thing completely attracted me. From that point on, it was only upward till my pack-up was announced.
12. “Can you elaborate on the theme of Joram?” – SorryOrchid784
This is about a father who is an Adivasi and works at a construction site. He has a wife and a 3-month-old child. Due to circumstances, he has to run away with his child to save their lives. The only place he can go to now is the jungle, he had come from. That’s the plot and the rest that unfolds, I’ll leave it for the audience to go and experience it themselves.
13. “Which are your top five movies/series etc. that you have been part of?” – Amar_Akbar_Anthony20
I will let the audience choose their top five. For most of the characters I have done, I accepted them with a lot of thought and they were done with a lot of sincerity, so it is very hard to just pick five.
Not just his versatile roles but his commitment to his craft has made him one of the most outstanding actors in the Hindi film industry.