Manoj: I am cursed with dissatisfaction

Critical acclaim is nothing new for Manoj Bajpayee – he is always appreciated for his performances. But more often than not, box-office success seems to elude him. Not that he is complaining; Manoj insists that he never sought stardom. Ahead of the release of his film Traffic, SpotboyE caught up with the actor for a tete-a-tete. Excerpts:    

Tell us about your movie, Traffic.
I am very excited about the film for many reasons. To begin with, it was a blockbuster in Malayalam. Then the director (Rajesh Pillai) decided to make it in Hindi. I have seen the Malayalam version and I know its impact. Now, I am curious to know how the Hindi film audience will react to the subject (pauses). 



Please elaborate...
It’s a race against time. There are five families, their scenes happen separately. But all of them are connected to this journey which is taking place from Mumbai to Pune. A heart needs to reach for transplant in Pune in two-and-a-half hours.

What is your role in the film?
I play a traffic constable and I have almost no dialogue in the film. Whatever little dialogue I have, you can see it in the promo. It’s mostly the inner turmoil this man is going through -- he is seeking redemption, he is seeking forgiveness from his family, police department and the society. And that will only be possible if he makes it in time for the heart to be transplanted. 



The film’s director Rajesh passed away...
Yes, he was only 40. I really want him to be happy somewhere up there that people have accepted his film. He was a passionate, lovely, adorable chap. So, like I said, I am looking forward to this film for many reasons.

Let’s talk about Mumbai’s traffic...
Be it Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru or Delhi, the traffic situation is equally bad. Earlier, everyone used to talk about Mumbai’s crowd and traffic. Now, whenever I go to Delhi, Bengaluru or Kolkata, I find the same amount of traffic everywhere. Nobody is addressing this issue. Life in a metro has become hell. All of us are working harder than people anywhere else in the world, but the quality of life is just zilch. And one of the main reasons for this is that we spend most of our time on the roads.

Blame it on our fancy for having three-four cars per family?
Population is the first reason. It was never addressed in our country. But now that the population is there and we can do little about it, I think what you say is right. We are always looking for an excuse to be a little more flamboyant, but why?



There must be many times that have you failed to reach on time because of traffic jams...
I am a stickler for punctuality. So I always leave a little earlier than necessary. Yet I am getting late, I make sure that the cast and crew is informed.

What do you do when you are stuck in traffic?
Smart phone hai na. I am very active on Twitter and Facebook. And why not? People ask me why I am re-tweeting so much about Traffic. I tell them if you do it for me, I will stop doing it. I am using the social media as a marketing tool. I am one of the main guys in Traffic, so it becomes my responsibility to make the people aware about it.  It is about creating curiosity.

Have you got addicted to it?
No, I use it. You will not see me on social media for quite some time after Traffic hits theatres. That’s the way I am.



You play a traffic constable in the film. In real life, have you ever had to bribe one?
Never. Once my driver had committed a mistake and I made sure that he submitted his license. As individuals, we have to be responsible. We should avoid offering bribes.

Barring a couple of roles, you have always played unconventional characters. Is that your modus operandi?
I don’t know, that’s the way I was born, it’s in my DNA. Acting is always what I wanted to do, this is the way that I always wanted to be known. Yesterday, somebody was asking me if I ever wanted to be a superstar. The answer is no. To become a superstar, I should have taken a different route altogether. My choices would have been completely different. I wanted to be known as a good actor and I have always wanted to do the kind of movies that I am known for.

Shah Rukh Khan met you recently. What did he say?
Nothing (smiles). Let me explain. We have known each other since childhood and we are very good friends. We got into theatre almost around the same time. He met me for a very short while. We keep bumping into each other. It was very nice of him to visit me for a brief time. But the media present there went berserk because Shah Rukh is a mega star. This country has rarely seen that kind of charm or impact of a superstar. The media didn’t let us talk, they only kept asking questions to Shah Rukh.

Both SRK and Salman Khan have come out in support of Traffic...
Salman supported our movie on Twitter and it was very generous of him to do that. Nobody asked him to do it, he didn’t even need to do it--- but he did. Thank you Shah Rukh and Salman for being so kind to my film. Their support goes a long way in generating curiosity among the audience.

How satisfied are you at this point in your career?
I am cursed with dissatisfaction, I am never satisfied with anything I do. But I am happy because cinema is changing for the better. Content-driven films like Traffic are getting made quite frequently, which was not at all the case when I started out. After Satya (1998), I remember sitting at home for 8 months, waiting for the next film. Besides, I was not even paid well. The remuneration wasn’t good enough to see me through for a sufficient period of time.

You talked about Satya. Are you in touch with its director  Ram Gopal Varma?
Very much. He is still the same... he still has the same energy, madness and passion. It’s always lovely to be with him and chat with him. He has his own way of looking at the world. And his films are quite refreshing and revolutionary.

Do you think that he has lost his touch?
No, it’s just that he is going through a bad time, which we all do at some point or the other. He is too talented to be in that phase for a very long time. Nothing can bog him down for long.



Does it ruffle you when a much-appreciated film of yours like Aligarh doesn’t do well?
Aligarh was never meant to do a 40-crore business; it has recovered its money and it still has a shelf life. It will go on making money in some way or the other, unlike a big mainstream film which does not revive after sinking in 3 days. Aligarh is a cult classic. We released it only in 400 screens, that itself tells you that we were not looking at numbers.

Fine, but what about a flop like Tevar which you did?
Tevar was indeed made to do well at the box-office. So if its producers didn’t make money, you definitely feel bad. Everybody loved my performance, but I really felt bad for Boney Kapoor and Eros who produced it.

Does the failure of Tevar make you wary of commercial cinema?
No, I am not wary of commercial cinema. If my role is good, why wouldn’t I do a film? I was happy with my role in Tevar.

There was a period of 5 years after Bewafa when you went virtually underground. What was happening at that time?
I wasn’t well. I had a major shoulder injury. Add this to the box-office failure of Bewafa followed by Fareb.

Did you think that you will bounce back in such a big way in 2010 with Rajneeti?
I am a confident person. I was sure that whosoever is writing shit about me will eat his/her words sooner or later.


Image Source: Voompla, Indiaforum & Boxofficecapsule