Dipesh Jain is all praise for Manoj Bajpayee

Director Dipesh Jain, who has ventured into the Hindi film industry with the psychological thriller, In The Shadows (Gali Guliyaan), is unlike other debutantes. Not opting for a comedy or romantic film, he dared to choose a different path. His film, starring actor Manoj Bajpayee in the lead role, is about how a man gets trapped in the physical and psychological maze of Old Delhi.

The biggest challenge was getting Manoj on-board. “I wrote the story keeping him in mind, and Manoj was the last person to be cast! By a stroke of luck, and through friends, I reached out to him, and he luckily responded,” says Dipesh.

“He called me to Mumbai to discuss the script, and ended up bombarding me with questions about his role. Clearly, he had read the script very carefully. Also, looking at the response we’ve got from audiences around the world, I’m confident this is going to be Manoj’s best work ever,” he adds.

Dipesh feels that though choosing such a subject was risky, it will pay off once the film releases. It has already been selected for a premiere at the Busan Film Festival and nominated for the prestigious Golden Hugo award at the Chicago International Film Festival.

“It is easy to make a romantic film, with safer bets. Everything about a psychological film, like ours, was a risk,” he says.

PHOTO: AMAL KS/HT Dipesh Jain has directed In The Shadows