Bajpayee: 'The Family Man 2' helped me reinvent myself

The sheer variety of roles that Manoj Bajpayee has played in over a three-decade long career is baffling. Given that he leaves an impact on the viewers through most of his characters, it is no wonder that Bajpayee’s character in ‘The Family Man 2’ is widely praised.

Known for his excellent performances in ‘Gangs of Wasseypur’, ‘Raajneeti’, ‘Aligarh’, ‘Gali Guleiyan’ and ‘Satyagraha’, Bajpayee says acting is a never-ending process of learning.

In an interview with Showtime, the national-award winning actor talks about playing Srikant Tiwari in espionage action thriller that dropped on Amazon Prime Video last week, acting in web series and more. Excerpts:

How was it to play an evolved Srikant Tiwari in ‘The Family Man 2’?

I play someone who is being held back by the circumstances that he is thrown into. He wants to keep everything together by exercising control over self and the world around him, but he is baffled and troubled by multiple thoughts that linger at the back of his mind.

Was it an emotionally draining process?

People are saying I look very comfortable on screen. But it took a lot of hard work and continuous preparation to get there. It is only when the director announces ‘pack up’ at the end of the shoot every day did I realise how drained I was. Working and staying charged up for 12 to 13 hours a day was challenging.

What made you take time to venture into the OTT space?

When OTT was picking up in our country, many actors of my time did interesting stuff. The series were being lapped up and talked about by cinephiles.

I wanted to start with something that would give me the opportunity to reinvent myself. When ‘The Family Man’ was offered, I jumped at it because I knew that there was something for me to experiment with.

Over the years, how has preparing for a role changed?

I have learnt by reading, observing, doing theatre and working with teachers and directors during my theatre days. I have developed my own method of approaching a character. But, it is never constant. While my role in ‘Aligarh’ took me on a different route, ‘Bhonsle’ took three years to make and ‘Gali Guleiyan’ challenged my psychological health. Each character decides what route I should take.

What’s the secret for your versatility?

Learning the craft is something that I am not going to let go so easily. Preparing for the role is far more interesting than watching it on screen. Learning about the character and getting it right in front of the camera is what keeps me motivated always.