Manoj Bajpayee watched a lot of serials and films on the OTT platform last year during the lockdown. Now he has a list of directors he wants to work with.Says Manoj, “I concentrated on Indian content. I dug up quite a lot of South Indian films, Malayalam, Tamil and some Telugu . I realized there is a whole big world out there in the South that I need to explore. Such amazing talent, such amazing directors that I want to work with , be it Vetrimaaran, Kumar Raja …so many great films I’ve seen Mohanlal, Mammootty, Fahad Fazil…I am inspired by their talent.”
He also enjoyed a number of serials in Hindi. “I really enjoyed Hansal Mehta’s Scam 1992. Hansal and his son Jai have given us a solid entertainer with a fabulous storyline.It made me realize that writers rule on OTT. Without fantastic writing , you can’t move an inch on OTT. Scam proved it.”
There are some other serials that Manoj has enjoyed recently. “I loved Pataal Lok and Jaideep Ahlawat’s work in it. I loved Sudhir Mishra’s Serious Men . Nawazuddin’s work in it was stupendous.I really liked Raat Akeli Hai, the entire film and the ensemble cast.”
Personally Manoj found renewed fame on the OTT platform. “The Family Man happened a few months before the lockdown. But its impact was felt all through the year. Some really good things happened to me on digital. My war film 1971 which didn’t get an audience on release was a massive hit on YouTube. My music video Mumbai mein kaa baa was a sensation.Then came Bhonsle on SonyLiv .It got not only huge acclaim but also got good numbers that would not have been possible in the movie theatres.Also Mrs Serial Killer. No matter what people had to say about it I’m still very proud of it, and of my association with Shirish Kunder.”
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