ACTING IS THE MOST DIFFICULT JOB

A MASTER OF SILENCES AND A CRAFTSMAN PAR EXCELLENCE, MANOJ BAJPAYEE, SPEAKING AT IFFI'S 'MASTERING THE UNSEEN' SESSION, UNVEILED HIS CRAFT, SHARED HIS STRUGGLES, AND REFLECTED ON HIS ENDURING LOVE AFFAIR WITH CINEMA

- SUDHIR SRINIVASAN

THERE'S a particular pleasure in engaging with a mind like Manoj Bajpayee's – a precision in his responses that doesn't veer into the perfunctory, an introspection that feels inviting. So, when the 55th International Film Festival of India invited me to moderate a conversation with him, it felt like an opportunity to both savor and share.

At the session titled 'Mastering the Unseen' at the packed Kala Academy, Manoj held forth on the art of acting, his aversion to the trappings of stardom, and his enduring commitment to indie cinema.

He began with dialogue – the lifeblood of cinema, the thread that connects characters and binds stories. "I think my understanding of dialogue began with an obsession for poetry recitation as a child. That's when I realised every word carries weight, every line holds rhythm and music," he shared.

Yet, his confidence was shattered in acting school when a teacher berated him for failing at even the basics, suggesting he showed no understanding of pitch and rhythm. Where others might have resigned in despondency, Manoj sought instruction from unlikely sources, embracing every fragment of advice he could find. "One mentor told me to read Sanskrit literature aloud; another helped me see the invisible threads that connect ideas in even the worst scripts. Over time, I have learned that the hardest dialogue to master is silence."

It is this mastery of silence that Manoj wishes was celebrated more. "We see Insta reels with actors delivering long monologues. But why not share a moment from a film like Bhonsle, where I've tried to say so much without words?"