There are not too many actors in the industry that would use the word “arrogant” to define their personality traits. But Manoj Bajpai has always stood apart in whatever he has done.
There are not too many actors in the industry that would use the word “arrogant” to define their personality traits. But Manoj Bajpai has always stood apart in whatever he has done. Be it the roles he chooses or the manner in which he conducts himself in the industry — this actor has done it all on his own terms. “I am a very optimistic person and I am arrogant too — arrogant not about my house or my car but about my experiences, the journey I have had as an actor. It is all in a positive way. I think every actor should be slightly arrogant,” says Manoj.
His film Aligarh that releases today has already been screened at many festivals and has brought him heaps of praise for the portrayal of a homosexual professor. What made him take up the character of professor Ramchandra Siras “A great role seals the deal for me. I don’t think of the society or the audience while choosing a role. I was excited by the idea of the film. Not even once did it occur to me how Hansal (Mehta, director) would shoot it. As an actor it’s not our job to judge a role. Even as a person, I am not judgmental — it’s something I’ve learnt from my family.”
It’s only during the release of his film that Manoj likes to be seen and heard. Other times he loves to stay miles away from the camera. “Only very recently I joined Twitter and Facebook, which again doesn’t go very well with my personality. It is a conscious decision to stay away from the limelight. I am a very private person; I don’t make friends so easily. I feel criticism or appreciation mean nothing at the end of the day. No matter how many friends you have, no matter how great an actor you are, people will only judge you by your last work,” he says. In the past Manoj has been on the receiving end of a lot of flack. “I was constantly criticised those days. So much insult was imparted towards me; so much ignorance was shown towards me by the media and industry. I realised that only through my work I could prove my worth. And that led to me becoming a more private person,” he says, adding, “I have few friends like Ashish, Hansal Mehta and Gajaraj. I relate to Nawaz too and if I’d like a glass of red wine,
I just go to his office or even to one of these friends’ houses. That’s it, my life ends there.”
Clearly, Manoj has fought the hard times and come out shining. Does he feel that he’s underrated “I don’t look for people’s appreciation, nor do I get rattled by criticism. Losers do that, they only read reviews. I don’t. I am my toughest critic. I know where I am lacking. Around 12 years ago, a couple of reviews had disturbed me, but never before or after that,” he says. But his wife Shabana Raza (better known as actress Neha) is one critic he cannot ignore. “Oh she is ruthless. And she appreciates too. She has seen Aligarh twice and at the screenings she was attending to the guests like it was her own film. She takes great pride in me but she also puts me on track when I slip. She is a great leveller that way. She liked me in Tevar — she loves commercial films. I am open to doing mainstream films only because of her. She keeps convincing me to do them.”
Do we see her returning on screen “I can’t appreciate her enough for sacrificing her career and deciding to bring up our child and make a home. She keeps getting offers for films and television. But she says that our daughter and our home is her priority. I think when our daughter grows up, she may get back to acting. I will ensure she does that.” The actor adds that he wants his daughter to watch Aligarh when she grows up. “She’s five now but I would love to show Aligarh to her when she is 10 or 11. It’s a great education. I really want growing minds to see the film.”
While he may be a sought after name today, who is the one director he wants to work with “Vishal Bhardwaj. He was going to debut as a director with me but that film got shelved ten days before the shoot. I really admire his writing and since then I have been calling him to cast me. He wanted me to do Haider, but I was committed to Tevar at that time. But I also call up many new directors. I still behave like a struggler who calls up directors asking for work.” He adds that he’s a big Kangana Ranaut fan. “She’s electric. In her league, she will be known as the next legend.”
Aligarh releases today and Manoj says that he wants to steer clear from the numbers game at the box office. “I feel it’s important stay away from the Friday business to keep my sanity. I want to do new things — theatre, short films — keep challenging myself. I am not made for this competitive Friday world — the world that is depending on the Monday collection. I am not cut out for that, for me filmmaking goes beyond that. It pains me that everybody only talks about the figures.”
