Vi segnalo l'intervista concessa da Manoj Bajpayee a Indiatimes, pubblicata il 12 giugno 2012:
'You were never the one to be seen at movie promotions. Isn't the current campaign - unfamiliar territory - tiring you?
Things have changed a lot; the fact that everything is temporary was perhaps never as true as it is now. (...) I faced situations where the producer could not ensure much visibility for my movies, sometimes from lack of funds, or from other reasons.
Such as?
1971 is the prime example! It is one of the best films of my career. (...) It was the first real film on the Army in a very long time. (...) So I don't know whether the promotions work or not (...) but I am not going to find out. Sometimes, publicity can be a brain dead thing, but I say, let it be, if it is working for a film, I am available, because I have suffered the cost of no publicity - not in one film, but in two, three films very dear to me! If it's fruitful conversation, I am very happy - but even when it is not, I tell people, no, I don't mind it (laughs)!
Some scandals, some fights, may help?
(Laughs) I am not somebody who would like to show his emotions publically. I may be able to speak to you one-to-one, but if we were to be speaking in front of ten people right now, I would not really say much. That's a personality defect. But I am working on it. (...) I have seen the consequences of not having attention for my film, so I am prepared to change myself in some ways to get it. And this film is for the people - it is not for drawing room conversation, that's very clear to me. (...)
It's far easier to visualize you as the protagonist for a film like Shool - upholding a certain line of thought. In Zubeidaa, there's a fair shade of grey in the protagonist, and moving further, in Gangs of Wasseypur (since I've seen the film and the readers haven't) there's a lot of grey (...)
There's nothing right about this person; this is why this role is so interesting. He has no sense of right and wrong, he has no sense of morality. He leches at this girl, openly, and the next day he goes and kills someone who is harassing a girl. It's a contradiction, but not for him, since he has no sense of right or wrong. What he's doing right now is right for him.
I assume, for you, a grey character is more difficult to execute?
It's much more difficult to execute. Much more! (...) One of the most difficult shots. Reemma is cooking, and I am looking at her back. (...) Now that's something that is not from my world. (...) If I have found a girl attractive, sometimes we have managed to say it, sometimes you have stayed in touch over the phone. (...) But to just lech at someone's back and accompany it with such a voyeuristic, orgasmic expression is something I have never experienced in my life (laughs)... (...)
You get a main lead after quite some time and you're still not a hero, but quite possibly the wickedest man in the script?
This is possibly the first time in Indian cinema in a while. (...) There's nothing right about him. (...) I wouldn't have thought I could pull off this role, frankly. (...)
How are you looking forward to having your family watch your super lecherous avatar on screen?
I am scared! I am going to tell them to go one by one and see it alone. Please. It will be very embarrassing if my brothers and sisters watch it with my parents; it will be quite an issue in the family! We basically come from a small village near the Nepal border; the family sensibilities are like that. (...)
You seem to be quite busy at the moment.
I have never been this busy, never had this much work in my career, in my life. Nobody still believes that I did no work for a year after (...) Satya. There were no directors for people like me. An Anurag Kashyap was still trying to prove himself. That crop of directors that are around today - they weren't there. I often feel that all this came five years late for me, and I am jealous of the actors in their prime who are able to work with such directors today. Even Nawaz (Nawazuddin Siddiqui) has got his due very late; he's also a victim of no directors being around when he was entering the industry.
And the likes of you, Nawaz, Irrfan [Khan] have been conspicuous by their absence from the 100-crore club of movies, haven't you? (...)
Are we actually welcome there? No, we are not. And I have come to terms with it. If somebody is not opening the door for you, I will not feel bad; I'd rather knock on another door. But the painful time was when there was only one door, and all the other houses were walled; there were just no doors. Today, even today, if I like a director's work, I pick up the phone, call his number, and ask him for work. (...)
There must be young people trying to break into cinema who come to you for advice. What do you tell them?
Yes, many of them come, but I don't know what to tell them, there are no easy answers. You have to keep going to people, you have to keep auditioning. In my time, you didn't even have the culture of auditions. I still remember pestering Mahesh Bhatt during a lunch break to switch on his camera. And I was so insistent - so aggressively insistent - that he actually switched on his camera and took my audition. Acting is my passion, not celebrity status. I left theatre only because theatre was not paying me anything and I was not getting any younger. I tell young people to ask themselves whether they want to enter acting for the sake of acting, or for something else that it will give them - because then it can break you. (...) I wanted only acting. Nothing through acting.
Your take on just wanting to act, not the fringe benefits, is rather philosophical, isn't it? (...)
I am always conscious of my own mortality. Guru Dutt isn't here anymore, Raj Kapoor was here, he's gone... My story isn't going to be any different. If I can move towards the very end of my lifespan doing what I want to do, that, for me, is the biggest achievement'.
Vi propongo anche un corposo estratto dall'intervista concessa da Manoj a Sonil Dedhia, pubblicata ieri da Rediff. Manoj Bajpayee: Never been so busy in my entire career:
'You recently went to the Cannes Film Festival with Gangs of Wasseypur. How was the experience?
Cannes is just amazing. The feedback for the film and my role was quite exhilarating. I was surprised when I saw the French and people from other continents who couldn't understand the language give a standing ovation to the film. The place is buzzing all the time. I curse myself for not being there earlier but from next year I'll make sure even if my film is not there I go there for a holiday with my family during the film festival. (...)
What was it about Gangs of Wasseypur that appealed to you?
It's a film where I have completely changed as an actor. I have changed my approach to acting. I have unlearned things as an actor and it was very difficult for me to do that. I was risking a lot of things with this film. My whole approach to my role was completely different. I didn't want anyone to know that this is the Manoj Bajpayee they have seen earlier. A lot of people told me not to take up this role but I stood by my decision. Also, I felt that I was in the safe hands of Anurag Kashyap who gave me an opportunity to re-define myself as an actor.
You have earlier played characters with grey shades but your character in Gangs of Wasseypur looks quite unusual.
Well, you will have to pay for the ticket and watch me on the screen (laughs). On a serious note, there is nothing right about my character Sardar Khan. This is why this role is so interesting. He has no sense of right and wrong, he has no sense of morality. He loves sex and he doesn't mind killing people. He leches at a girl, forces her to sleep with him and the very next day he goes and kills someone who is harassing a girl. He lives for the moment and what he does at that time is right for him. In spite of him having so many flaws and vices, I had to make my character look adorable, which was very tough.
Most of your films have been set in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, the same region where you come from. Does acting in such films come naturally to you?
Nothing comes naturally to me. I reject the idea that if the story is set in Uttar Pradesh or Bihar it will come naturally to me. Accent doesn't make you an actor. It is the approach and the performance of an actor that count. Performance doesn't come naturally just because you come from a particular region. Getting into the skin of this character was quite a gruelling task. I think it's the toughest performance of my career. (...)
You have worked with Anurag as a writer. How was he as a director?
Anurag is a very easy director. He gives complete freedom and makes things very easy for his actors. He understands the suffering and insecurities of an actor. He's one of those rare directors who can relate to their actors. That is the reason you see fantastic performances in all his films. He has evolved a lot as a filmmaker.
There was a lull in your career before Raajneeti.
Not many people know that I was not well. My shoulder was in bad shape. I couldn't even move my hand. For two years I had to lie low and listen to and read all the false reports that were written by the media. I lost a lot of projects that I had in hand. But, yes, I am here promoting my film today and I am also busy with my other films (smiles).
How did you deal with the situation?
I was unfazed by it. My priority was to get myself fit. I missed out on a lot of films, which I would have loved to be a part of. I suffered a lot. I was without work and money. I was spending everything that I had saved. It was the most challenging phase of my life. At the same time, some people came out in support. Prakash Jha offered me Raajneeti and subsequently Aarakshan when I needed it the most.
When you look back on your career, do you think filmmakers have not been able to use the potential that you have as an actor?
I think not even 25 per cent of my potential has been utilised. I still have the same passion and the hunger that I had when I started my career. I am in search for great roles all the time. I hope things will get back to normal and directors will keep coming to me, give me challenging roles and keep putting my talent to good use (smiles). (...)
How is your equation with Ram Gopal Varma?
My equation with Ram Gopal Varma will never change. I will always be indebted to him. Whatever I am today is because of him and I don't think that my equation with him will ever change'.
