Character actors not treated well in Bollywood: Manoj Bajpai

"In Bollywood, character actors are not treated well, they are not even paid well and are treated as a second citizen. I would rather be in my territory and rule it," Bajpai told PTI.

After his successful film 'Satya', Bajpai starred in 'Kaun', 'Zubeidaa', 'Fareb', 'Bewafaa' and recently released 'Dus Tola' all of which failed to create an impact at the box office. Bajpai returned to the mainstream cinema with Prakash Jha's 'Rajneeti' where he played a young shrewd politician.

"I always wanted to play different roles from the day I decided that I want to be an actor. I also know I have a very unconventional face. I mean I know my limitations and I also know what I am good at. I am someone, who loves to experiment with new genres and roles.

"As an actor, it is very important that I approach each role differently and with focus. I always make sure that I understand the character properly and try to execute it in the best possible way," the 42-year-old actor said.

Bajpai who has played a villain in most of his films like 'Aks', 'Road', 'Veer-Zaara' and 'Aarakshan' says that he doesn't like villains being perceived as negative characters.

"We call them villains of the film. I don't like playing a negative character, as I don't believe in it. Grey characters are very close to real life. They are human beings, like any other common man in the world. They have good, as well as bad qualities in them, so that's why, we call them grey characters. Grey characters look more real and believable."

Talking about 'Lanka' that is scheduled for a release on December 9, Bajpai said it as a palace of religion and a palace of exploitation.

"Ravan was a very religious person, but he was known for imposing his will on others. He was known as a pinnacle of misuse of power. This film is a modern adaptation of Ramayana and my character is similar to Ravan.

"My character in 'Lanka' is inspired from Ravan's character in the Ramayana. He is wise and he loves his city, He is loving, caring, powerful and confident of what he wants in life.

The only mistake my character makes is he falls in love with someone, who doesn't love him back," Bajpai added.

The movie is directed by debutante Maqbool Khan and produced by Vikram Bhatt.