SGIFF Recap: In Conversation with Manoj Bajpayee

Acclaimed actor Manoj Bajpayee shared his journey from Bihar to stardom, his love for theatre, and the toll of method acting during an interview at the Singapore International Film Festival, Priyanka Arora writes.

Acclaimed actor Manoj Bajpayee, in Singapore to attend the Southeast Asian premiere of The Fable at this year’s Singapore International Film Festival, was interviewed by stand-up comedian Rishi Budhrania last Saturday, as part of the festival’s In Conversation series. 

During the session, the actor opened up about his extraordinary acting journey that began more than thirty years ago. Born in a small village in Bihar and now one of Bollywood’s most respected actors, Bajpayee gained fame for his versatility in roles in films, including Satya and The Family Man. Additionally, as one of few actors in Indian cinema who work in both commercial and independent films, Bajpayee shared insights into his unique career path, and the emotional and physical toll acting has taken on him.

Bajpayee grew up in a small village where the infrastructure was poor, and his father was a farmer. Despite being from a lower income family, his parents were incredibly supportive of his dreams. They encouraged him to pursue his dreams and gave him the confidence to move to Delhi to pursue acting when he was 17.

Once in Delhi, Bajpayee quickly fell in love with theatre under the training of Barry John, immersing himself in a variety of plays. He described feeling truly alive onstage, and that acting was like a drug to him. The stage continues to shape much of his approach to acting, he said.

While theatre was his first love, Bajpayee eventually turned to films. At that time, film roles were not only more lucrative but also offered a chance for financial stability. Although Bajpayee found this decision difficult at that time, he shared that he now prefers cinema over theatre because of the varied storytelling the craft offers.

Bajpayee gained huge recognition after the success of Satya, but subsequently kept receiving similar role offers. He rejected a few major roles as he wanted to avoid being typecast as the bad guy. He said this could have easily defined his career, but he was determined to avoid being pigeonholed into the villain archetype, and diversify the roles he took up.

As a method actor, Bajpayee confessed that his commitment to fully inhabiting his roles often led him to neglect his mental and physical health. In order to be as authentic as possible, he would sometimes push himself to extremes, with his wife joking that she felt like she was with “different men all the time”. Even though his doctor warned him to be cautious about his health early on, Bajpayee only started taking his advice more seriously as he grew older, because he thought that the only way to approach an intense role was through hard work and persistence.   

Bajpayee also reflected on how his intense preparation for roles affected his emotional well-being. He often found himself becoming short-tempered and emotionally drained, which made him realise how damaging such immersion into a character could be. He said he even needed someone close to him to “shake him out” of these nightmarish emotional states.

As one of the few actors in Bollywood who was not born into a “film-y” family, Bajpayee endured more struggles initially. He discussed the dynamics of Bollywood openly, acknowledging the privileges of being from a film family, but also recognising the effort that goes into maintaining a career in such a competitive industry.

Despite the challenges, Bajpayee remains incredibly passionate about acting, and said that he will always be madly in love with it. His dedication to the craft is unwavering, and he continues to approach each role with the same fervor that he did when he first started acting in Delhi. As he looks ahead, Bajpayee remains hopeful and excited about his future in cinema.

In a lighter moment, Bajpayee shared a humorous anecdote about his first visit to Singapore, joking about his struggle to get a good exchange rate. He also revealed that his parents named him after the iconic actor Manoj Kumar, adding a personal touch to his story.