ONE MAN SHOW

In a Bazaar India exclusive, actor Manoj Bajpayee talks about how acting is one of the most difficult professions.

-  Smita Tripathi

In his over three-decade career in Bollywood, Manoj Bajpayee has played a variety of critically acclaimed roles. From Bhiku Mhatre in Ram Gopal Varma’s Satya to Sardar Khan in Anurag Kashyap’s Gangs of Wasseypur, Bajpayee’s characters have remained etched in the minds of viewers. His latest film Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai that premiered on Zee 5 has him playing the role of a small-town lawyer fighting a criminal case against a godman accused of rape of a minor. Bajpayee, who is known for getting into the skin of his character, speaks to Bazaar India about his new film, his creative process, and how Bollywood has changed over the years.

Harper’s Bazaar: In Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai, you are playing the role of a lawyer struggling to find justice for a young girl. How did you prepare for the role and were there any challenges that you faced?

Manoj Bajpayee: “Preparing for a role is all about the script. You always go back to it. You try to find out the backstory from the script and then use your imagination to sketch a character. It’s about your own interpretation. If the role is given to 50 different actors, all of them will perform it differently. And at the end of the day, it is the interpretation for which the actor is criticised, or appreciated. So I try to find my own interpretation.