Never tried to deal with failure, I let it affect me: Manoj Bajpayee

Manoj Bajpayee also opens up about his upcoming movie 'Silence', featuring him in the role of a cop

Noted actor Manoj Bajpayee, who is gearing up for the release of his upcoming film Silence, says that he lets setbacks affect him as each failure has the potential to help him strive for success. He adds that shooting on the Zee5 film was a 'draining' experience due to the intense scenes set in an investigation room.

Edited excerpts from an exclusive interview with DH:


What encouraged you to take up Silence?

The script was very exciting and engaging. The director is a friend so I wanted to be a part of Silence. Moreover, the character has quite a back story.

What type of role do you play in the film?

He is a man with baggage. He is divorced and his wife is with the daughter in London. He is trying to do everything possible to get his child to visit him and not seeing her makes his life lonely.

How was the experience of working with Prachi Desai and Arjun Mathur?

Prachi is a lovely girl and tries to enjoy work. She has given her 100 per cent to all scenes. I am a great admirer of Arjun. He isolated himself and was totally into the scene. My admiration for him has increased after seeing him work so hard.

The most draining scene from Silence?

The investigation scenes were draining. It was not easy to learn technical terms like 'autopsy' and all. These drained me to such an extent that I would fall asleep immediately after hitting the bed.

How do you deal with failure?

I have never tried to deal with failure and let it affect me. No failure defines you and life is more about failure than success. You need to give your best and avoid being indulgent. Looking back, I feel, every failure is an enabler.

Any plans of turning director?

There is no plan right now but if I come across a script that I find exciting as a director and not as an actor I will go in that direction.