Manoj Bajpayee: Want to make the most out of good roles coming to me

Manoj Bajpayee: Actor Manoj Bajpayee, whose survival thriller drama ‘Joram’ hit the screens on Friday, opened up on whether the characters he portrays take a toll on him. He shared that the good roles are coming to him and he wants to make the most of it.

Directed by Devashish Makhija, the film promises an intense portrayal of survival, with Manoj in a commanding role as a father on the run.

In a conversation with IANS, Manoj spoke about the characters taking a toll on him, survival thriller genre, and more.

If playing 'Dasru' took a mental and physical toll on him, Manoj told IANS: "I don't know whether it is taking a toll or not. I try to come out of it not by going anywhere, I just start preparing for my next. And when I start preparing for next, then slowly the new character overpowers my mind."

The 'Aks' actor shared: "I don't know what it has done to my brain but we will come to know that in times to come. At this point it's impossible to tell what toll it has taken on my mind. Good roles are coming to me, I am working with good directors and I want to make the most of it."

What is missing in genres like survival thriller, and psychological drama?

Manoj said: "We are doing quite well. Also the independent filmmakers like Devashish Makhija, Vikramaditya Motwane, all of these people are working continuously, and exploring things in this genre. All of them have a different take and that's the beauty of it."

"When it comes to the middle of the road or independent cinema you see a lot of experiments happening. Directors who are doing it are primary cinephiles. They are the people who are purely cinema lovers. They want to grow in cinema, they want to grow as a cinema person all the time. They themselves are bettering and educating themselves, and are growing all the time with each film of their own," said the 'Shool' actor.

Manoj said there is nothing lacking, it is just that it is not just Devashish or Vikramadiyta Motwane (directors like these) and their responsibility, but people who are coming after them, it is their responsibility too, to make stories that are far more accessible, and to make films that are far more exciting.

"I also believe that audiences should be encouraged to come and watch the films of these directors," said the National Film Award winner.

Manoj further said that the middle of the road cinema or genres needs a lot of makers.

"Because that is the cinema I feel will do fantastically well with the audience of India. Our audience primarily treats films as the source of entertainment. But such genres will not only entertain but take the audience on a ride that is far more cinematic, unique in its storytelling," said the 54-year-old actor.

He added: "We can't take the audience from one film to another in a jiffy. The middle of the road cinema is for that reason very important in our country."

Directed, written, and crafted by Devashish Makhija and produced by Shariq Patel, Ashima Avasthi Chaudhuri, Anupama Bose, and Devashish Makhija, the film also stars Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub. IANS/SP