Outside I was calm but inside I was like I think crying a bit
You are going to make me cry
Every time I try you know even till now I try and I get caught very badly.
Yeah because you have it written all over your face.
I have been in the industry for long enough to have been offered a Bollywood film.
So we catch each other. If my co-actor is being lazy, if my co-actor is not doing well, we
catch it. We immediately catch it. We are that sensitive.
You know when I was asked to interview the Manoj Bajpayee the first thing that came to my
mind was yaar what will I ask and you know even there are celebrities who look up to you I
mean you are a legend in your own right. Joining the conversation is also Samantha who has
served a series of hits and by series, I do mean back to back hits in the Southern Cinema.
So how does it feel to be acting with Manoj and can you tell us a little about Family Man?
I think that in my first scene with Manoj Sir I was, they didn’t let me like get used to it. They put
me straight into the lion’s den with a very, very important scene and they did something even
worse. They let him do his closeups first so I got to see the first-hand the legend that you just
mentioned and outside I was calm but inside I was like I think crying a bit
I was just in shock and thankfully the character also in the scene was supposed to be blank so that was actually I wasn’t acting.
But thank you very much. I was looking forward to it. I was looking forward because the
reputation that she has built up for herself in cinema was something I had quite heard about.
I told Raj, that Raj has never told you that she is really there and he said yes she is
there. That was my first introduction to her. I was completely impressed with her preparation.
I was shown a video where she has practised the punching and the kicking and
jumping. Everything that she has done on the screen is marvellous. It’s something to envy about
You are going to make me cry.
Every actor or actress or anyone they are going to envy the skill that she has shown.
Talking about the character Srikant how much is the character Srikant like Manoj?
I can’t lie that much. Every time I try you know even till now I try and I get caught very badly.
Yeah because you have it written all over your face
I just if my if I am upset or not upset or happy or not happy that way I kept my life that simple. It’s not
for anything else. It’s also becasue like I didn’t want that kind of complication in my life. It's easy
and also when you lie eventually you forget what you lied but the person you lie to is always going to remember
And your female counterpart if you are lying to, you are definitely going to get caught.
Because this gender they have elephant memory.
Now coming to you there is a lot of exchange happening between Bollywood and the South.
Like Alia is doing RRR and Rashmika is doing her Bollywood debut, have you been approached for a Bollywood movie?
Yes, I have been in the industry for long enough to have been offered a Bollywood film. I am
not completely comfortable with the language and also the thing was it over the last few
years is when I feel like I am really coming to my own understanding sentiments down south you
know. The kind of films that people like, kind of characterisations, kind of performances I am
just about there with, understood that and it took me so long. I am pretty scared to dive again
into something so unknown to me and figure it out and if I can it’s a bit scary.
I completely understand. I have done four Telegu films. I have been directed by a fantastic
director. My first film in Telegu was with Ram Gopal Verma and every time I kept on struggling with the
language and I am very bad with the language. Very bad. If you ask me to give a flavour to it
in Hindi I can do it. You know I have stayed in Hyderabad and interacted with all these guys and so many others to
get the flavour of it. But to really know the language I am very bad at it. You know and then I
kept on getting offers. I always said no. It’s just so much hard work to really know the language and I hate
taking the prompting you know. Somewhere I feel I am not doing justice to the job that I am
doing. That’s why I don’t do it. I am always scared touching it. I completely understand
where she is coming from. Though really her kind of actress, her kind of ability that she has
she should work but if she is feeling about it that hesitation is coming but I understand where she is coming from.
So now in a previous interview with Pinkvilla, you had mentioned that there is a difference
between a star and an actor. Now with Family Man you are in and as the Family Man do you think
like has there been ever that kind of vibe that chalo now I have arrived. The industry is seeing me in a different light now.
How many times will you arrive Manoj Sir?
Thank you, Samantha
For saving me from this question
I am confused just how many over how many years
That arrival feeling is something that is never there but it’s a platform I
don’t know about stardom but whenever it has happened to me I have never taken it very
seriously. I somehow feel that all of us should be very focused on learning the craft and
doing, giving 200% to whatever is given. And you know that’s what takes us everywhere.
Stardom is something it’s a perception. It’s just a perception how you look at, how the others are looking
at you. But what am I? I am just an actor who is trying to fulfil his all the requirements of the job and go home. That’s all.
And very large appetite of wanting to do more and more
And greedy
Greedy. Very greedy. Very greedy.
It was great talking to you.
Thank you so much. Thank you.
Thank you for coming out in Corona time to take our interview.
Thank you
We are all tested.
Yes.