Manoj Bajpayee’s character’s unique mix
The actor discloses how the unique dose of humour and dark shades of his character in ‘Satyagraha’ makes it compelling
Manoj Bajpayee has always loved doing challenging roles and his upcoming character in ‘Satyagraha’ directed by Prakash Jha is no different. It has two opposing shades of dark and humour that compelled the actor to take up the role.Sharing about the uniqueness of the character, he states, “This character will make you develop hatred as well as will make you laugh. Carrying forward both the emotions is very difficult. The film has good doses of humour too.” He admits his glee to being challenged and shares, “Yes, it is very difficult to enact both comic as well as a spiteful character simultaneously, but however I enjoy doing both.”
“My character’s name is Balram Singh and he is a crook. He is very shrewd and can go to any extent to defend himself in this one dimensional power play of today’s politics,” he shares.
Talking about the preparation that went into the role, he says, “I watched some speeches on television and incorporated few mannerisms from the way those characters would behave. Whenever you enact a special character on reel there are few politicians which you may identify with. However, I will not take their names because I will get screwed and the film will also garner problems.” And adds, “Avinash, a journalist friend of mine, talks in one particular manner and I have tried to copy him. After watching the film he is very angry with me for this and keeps cursing me.”
Sharing about the realistic portrayal of the character he states, “He is a strong person but when his confidence shakes, how he turns to be like an animal has been shown wonderfully. This graph of a human nature is so true to real life characters.”
Taking a look back at his career graph, he confesses that he has not performed many spiteful characters in true terms. “In ‘Special 26’, I always try to enact different but yet a simpleton. I look at a character in terms of my liking of that character. I do not consider any character good or bad. I am also not a good man from within. Whenever on film such spiteful character of mine comes out you may count all my bad thoughts.”
Shedding light on his past association with Amitabh Bachchan, he says, “I have worked with Amitabh Bachchan thrice — ‘Akks’, ‘Aarakshan’ and now in ‘Satyagraha’. We share a cordial relationship. He is proud of me. I have never done anything that may have offended him.”
Talking about him giving Big B a mouthful in his onscreen avatar, he shares, “I played a negative character, and whenever a negative person gets involved with a positive person he always tries to give him a mouthful. Be it ‘Aarakshan’ or ‘Satyagraha,’ I have had confrontations with Amitji on screen .But that is my character on reel. I have to deliver all my dialogues according to my character. While, Amitji will follow his.” But, he shares that he has also learnt a lot from the veteran actor, “I have learnt discipline from Amitji, even while I had not worked with him. I have also learnt how to behave in public, being a public figure. Amitji represent public behavior in a meticulous manner. Being a celebrity he is always so cool.”
Speaking about in favour of picking up on local dialects and accents, he says, “I play Man Singh in ‘Bandit queen’, in ‘Special 26’, I took to Delhi’s colloquial tongue. If I do a Bhojpuri film, I have to pick up that dialect. Similarly, doing a Pakistani character or speaking English, I have to keep that particular tone. I always feel that getting a pinch of colloquial touch makes the character authentic. I see no difference in the medium.”
Talking about getting offers and doing regional cinema, he says, “I am proud about Marathi industry, their work reaching the national level. I am getting more offers from Bengali cinema. But even if I liked a script; it did not materilise. Rituparno Ghosh always told me that we will work together. He is dead now, may his soul rest in peace. I love Marathi language, I have done a couple of Telugu films as they are dubbed — ‘Vedam’,’Pulli’, ‘Happy’ and Ram Gopal Varma’s film, ‘ Prem Katha.”
Talking about the special relationship he shares with Anurag Kashyap, he says, “Anurag and I share a typical relationship. He understands me so well. We can understand through our eyes. Anurag is my friend so the equation is different. Prakash Jha is my senior so I respect him. Anurag and I share openness in our relationship. We also know our plus as well as minus points and we do discuss on those points often.”
Talking about not playing superheroes or larger than life characters, he says, “Who will give me super heroes offer? Believe me I am very happy with whatever offers I am getting. If at all I would like to do a super hero character, I would like to perform ‘Batman’’s — Jack Nicholson’s role or ‘Dark Knight’’s Heath Ledger’s role. ‘Road’ and ‘Akks’ were not super hero films. But these characters were super negative. These characters kill the hero.”
Sharing whether he is open for Hollywood, he says, “I will do Hollywood role only if I get good roles. This industry is very big and I am happy doing films here. I am open to do films in any medium. I do not consider English language any different from Hindi or Marathi.”
Shedding light on his future projects, he shares, “My next film is ‘Traffic’ and ‘Playing Sat Ujjakey’ being directed by Neeraj Pandey where I play the biggest loafer. It is a story of few characters belonging to Chandini Chowk. This week, I am signing three more films. I may tell you only after I sign the contract,” says the actor who shows no signs of stopping.