JOIN US'Not many people are aware of Bhojpuri films'
Having entered the film industry on the basis of his singing talents, actor Manoj Tiwari has done a lot to bring Bhojpuri cinema into the limelight. He was part of the reality show ‘Bigg Boss’ and this year he made his mark on the cricket field at the recently-concluded Celebrity Cricket League (CCL) with his team, Bhojpuri Dabanggs.
In the City recently, the actor says that his main criterion right now is to popularise
Bhojpuri cinema and show the audience good quality movies. “That was one of main reasons I took part in ‘Bigg Boss’. Not many people are aware of Bhojpuri films and when I took part, at least a section of people came to know about the industry. But if you ask me whether I will take part in ‘Bigg Boss’ again, the answer is no — I have my reasons for it,” says Manoj.
It was for the same cause that he entered a new team, Bhojpuri Dabanggs, in the third season of CCL. But what Manoj didn’t expect was the immense knowledge he acquired about various other film industries in the process.
“The CCL has surely proved to be a great platform for us as a team. Many young actors from the Bhojpuri film industry got the much-needed exposure. Besides, we got a chance to meet people from different industries, which we are rarely able to do,” he says.
Through this interaction, he came to realise how far behind Bhojpuri cinema is compared to other industries. “In our industry, we release around eight to ten films in a year. It was after coming here that we learnt that other industries make a lot more. This has given me the encouragement to actually do more films, bring better quality cinema to our people and expand our viewers,” he adds.
The last time Manoj visited the City to sing at a small function, he learnt that there are a number of people from his state (Bihar) residing here. “It’s really nice to see so many people from my state living here and doing so well. My only message for them is to do well in the state they’re living in. At the same time, don’t forget your roots and bring a good name to your own state as well,” he sums up.