Manoj Bajpayee on Aiyaary – “It is quite fascinating to get into a ‘behrupiya avtar'”

The name Manoj Bajpayee carries certain weight behind it. While he has been an integral part of the industry for over a couple of decades, the kind of films that he is doing is making heads turn for sure. One such film is Aiyaary which is arriving on 9th February. A thriller which features him along with Sidharth Malhotra in an unusual pairing, Aiyaary promises to be an intriguing tale with numerous twists and turns that would keep the audience engaged. Meanwhile Manoj Bajpayee is quite charged up too as he gears up for his first release of the year.

Aiyaary – Now that’s an entirely new experience for you, isn’t it?
Yes, it is quite fascinating to be in the ‘behrupiya avtar’ and turn into a different character. It is not just about changing looks, which by the way takes time when you are sitting on the chair for 2-3 hours. It is so much about getting into an altogether different character, which is quite some fun. This is something that I have not done before. I have reached that stage of my career where each and every moment is fun on the sets. There is nothing to prove to anybody. You just go out there and enjoy yourselves.

Neeraj Pandey is definitely giving you that stage if Special 26, Naam Shabana and now Aiyaary are anything to go by.
For a person coming from outside, it is tedious and difficult, and also demands lot of patience and hard-work. Even after all of that you don’t know whether you would eventually get in there or not. I admire him for coming this far all on his own. I have loads of respect for him that he has made his mark in mainstream commercial arena. I really admire and respect him. He has achieved so much in such a short span of time.

There is also a common Delhi connect between the two of you.
(Smiles) Yes, he comes from Delhi and that is partially my second home. I know the city in and out. I have done theater and college here; I have a huge connect with the city. I also got married here. As for Neeraj, I can relate to him due to his humility and his background. We enjoy each other’s company, we trust each other. When we are on the sets, I know that he is helping himself. There is no need or expectation from me to go out there and make an extra effort so that we are on the same page. He is anyways quite sorted. He is a genuine person and I am happy to be friends with him.

After Aiyaary, what are you planning to do next?
There is a film called Gali Guliyan that I am doing. I am also doing a web series by Raj and DK; its title is The Family Man. It is about a middle class man and is a thriller; it would be quite a treat for the audience. This year is quite packed till September as I am working on back to back films. I am also making a special appearance in Abhishek Chaubey‘s next film Son-Chiraiya. I am a fan of few directors in this industry and Abhishek is one of them. He is quite intelligent and I was completely floored by his Udta Punjab and Ishqiya. In addition, I am also in Baaghi 2 which is an out and out commercial ‘masala’ film. I loved being in it.