The Hindu Huddle | Manoj Bajpayee wants an image makeover

In a lively session at The Hindu Huddle on June 6 (Saturday), actor Manoj Bajpayee engaged the packed hall with his wit and wisdom. In the middle of his conversation with journalist and talk show host Rohit Khilnani, the seasoned actor got down to take selfies with members of the crowd.

The light-hearted banter was intended to break his image of a “serious individual”. “I don’t know when I went from Manoj to Manoj sir to Manojji. I have a 15-year-old inside me waiting to express,” he said. In the session titled “Bhiku Mhatre to Srikant Tiwari: Three Decades of Reinvention’, the actor responded to issues concerning the film industry, but began on a nostalgic note, talking about his iconic character Bhiku Mhatre from Ram Gopal Varma’s Satya (1998). “It was a time when I was struggling for roles. I was going hungry and looking for people who could give me a place to sleep. I jumped into the character like a hungry tiger,” he recollected.

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Talking of the advent of artificial intelligence, Mr. Bajpayee said, “The fear of AI is coming from the right place because it is attempting to create alternatives to actors. At the same time, I am in favour of technological developments. There are advantages of AI as well. Post-production costs have come down. However, you cannot recreate human experience. The real-time performance is always authentic when compared to AI.”

For someone who rose through the ranks with offbeat films, Mr. Bajpayee said unconventional and independent movies in India deserve better treatment. “You talk about Satyajit Ray in foreign countries, and people value you. Many of our filmmakers, like Shyam Benegal, Shekhar Kapur, Anurag Kashyap, and Kanu Behl, are respected in several countries. People stand up and applaud their work. The same filmmakers are struggling to make movies in their own country, and that is sad.”

He added, “Independent and off-beat movies must get better budgets. These films need to get more shows. I see so many tentpole movies, despite unfavourable reviews and less footfalls taking several screens and shows, affecting the result of another worthy movie.”

Mr. Bajpayee will next be seen in Governor, a film based on the 1990 Indian economic crisis. Set to release on June 12, 2026, the movie will see Mr. Bajpayee playing former Reserve Bank of India Governor S. Venkitaramanan. Mr. Bajpayee was asked about his collaboration with Vipul Shah, who produced the controversial The Kerala Story movies. Mr. Shah is also the producer of Governor.

“Vipul Shah is an experienced producer. The Kerala Story got people to theatres, but it was also controversial. But Governor is a story we all agree on. It is not political,” said Mr. Bajpayee. “The story tracks the time when India was in a financial crisis. Today’s generation needs to know that India didn’t always have Pepsi, Coke, and mobile phones. India was standing on the verge of bankruptcy.”

Known for revelling in complex roles, Mr. Bajpayee admitted he wants to move away from serious characters and have “fun on screen”. “I do a lot of research and dive deep into a complex character. But I fear that I will continue to get only such roles. I am a bit tired of this kind of process. I want to dress well, sing songs, and chill on the sets,” he signed off.

The Hindu Huddle is presented by the Sami-Sabinsa Group as the Presenting Partner. The event is co-powered by the Government of Telangana and held in association with Khaja Bandanawaz University.

The event is further supported by Bank of Baroda, Larsen & Toubro, Apollo Hospitals, IIM Sirmaur, ICFAI Group, TAFE, Wizzmon, Uttarakhand Government, Associate Partners; Casagrand, Realty Partner; Toyota, Luxury Car Partner; Amity University Bengaluru, University Partner; Harrow International School Bengaluru, Education Partner; Meghalaya Tourism, State Partner; and NDTV 24×7, TV Partner.