How did you get to play the cop hero in Shool?
It just so happened that Ramu had gone to so many people, he finalised so many stars, but somewhere, you know, as luck would have happened, one day he just said, Manoj, ‘I think you should prepare yourself for this role.’ And I must tell you, Subhash that my happiness knew no bounds after that. Because this is what I wanted to do. This is the kind of film I wanted to be a part of. I wanted to play a lead in, where I could just showcase the definition of a hero or how the hero should look, how the main guy, protagonist should look in our films. And these are the ideas that I had nurtured for so many years. And I had this opportunity to really put all of it into that performance, make it as real as possible, and still, you know, look like a larger than life hero.
25 Years of Shool: Manoj Bajpayee reveals he was not the first choice; says, “Shool was offered to many top names”
Ramu tells me you underwent intense preparation?
The preparation, the hard work, the mental hard work that went into it, I completely surrendered to it. I gave it all, so much so that I lived, breathed as only Samrat Pratap Singh and nothing else till the film was over.
What happened when the film was complete?
After the film was over, I took it so seriously, because for me, it was a life and death situation. And I was saying no to all the negative roles. If at all I wanted to do a negative one, it should have had some kind of an edge, some kind of a difference, a different edge from all the usual conventional negative roles or the villainous roles which were being produced. And that definition reflected in my choice in Aks later on.
Shool took its toll on your mental health?
I surrendered so much, I gave it all so much, I went inside Samrat Pratap Singh’s mind so much that I felt sick, mentally I was not in a good place. And that was a time I was suggested by a friend of mine, a doctor that I should not take it that seriously and I should find a different method to play a role.
After Shool you changed your approach to characters?
Yes, it was not only Shool, but yeah, with Shool it was clear that it was high time that I should change my approach in playing those intense roles, because this was the way I’ve been doing it since my theatre days, giving it all. Now I had to work on the craft very, very seriously and keep the characters away from me once I leave the set. That was the scenario.
Would you say Shool was a career-defining experience?
For me, it was life changing because I got to play the main lead in a regular middle of the road mainstream film. And later on it became a cult. So much recognition, so much appreciation, after Satya and Kaun, for that role in Shool, that really established me as a serious actor in this industry. And people started looking at me differently because somewhere with Satya, they thought that this is a one-film fluke, one film wonder.
Ram Gopal Varma was quite a visionary back then?
Personally, I will never be able to pay off the debt to Ram Gopal Verma in the manner he believed in me, in the manner he used my ability to work hard, the way he trusted me with each and every shot, and trusted my approach to the character.
You and Ramu did have creative differences during Shool?
Somewhere in between, Ramu thought that Manoj is not doing it rightly. But when the film was complete, and I still remember at 9 or 10pm, my landline rang and I picked it up and one or two friends of mine were sitting there. And Ramu was in Chennai, he had this screening. He kept this screening for Mohanlal, Mani Ratnam, and one more person. And those people were going gaga over my performance. And so magnanimous of Ram Gopal Verma, telling me that, you know, Manoj, I’m so sorry that I didn’t get your performance. Because I was expecting Bikku Mahatirikai kind of performance. And here you have given a very different kind of a performance, keeping the character in mind. So I’m sorry, but please talk to Mani. Ramu handed over the phone to Mani. And Mani Ratnam, you know, very graciously, he went on about my performance. And he said that one day I would like to work with you. And I keep reminding him till now, that Mani, please honour the commitment. So much I would like to work with him. Yes, there’s only one person, Mani Ratnam, that for me, is the person who is the only one who’s left for me to work with. And I wish that one day we work together.
And Mohanlal?
And then the phone went to Mohanlal, who I admired so much, in so many films, I looked up to him. Then he said, you know, I am an actor and I am so bloody floored and impressed by your performance that I want to kill you. You know, I really want to kill you. How can anybody perform so real? And then Ramu took the phone and he went on about my performance. I can’t forget that night and those great people talking about that performance.
I remember Amitji just went bonkers over the performance? He told me only you can play his character in Zanjeer in any remake?
Mr Bachchan later on, after watching it in a trial, then Jayaji watching it, and she told me that it was like hearing a nice classical music when I was watching your performance, every beat and every nuance. So Shool has given me a lot in terms of establishing myself in this industry. So I owe a lot to Shool, more than any other film. Shool happened to me when I was completely frustrated with all the offers post Satya and Kaun.
Why were they frustrating?
I was only getting offers of the villains against opposite all the big stars and it seemed that aall the appreciation post Satya and Kaun and amounted to nothing because I always believed that no appreciation means anything if the offers or the roles that you are getting don’t match up. So neither the money nor the roles which were offered to me matched anywhere with the appreciation and the huge recognition that I got post Satya and Kaun.
What next?
I was sitting at home, every filmmaker was hell-bent on, you know, turning me into a villain. I somehow felt that if I fall into this trap of really making hay while the ‘sin’ shines(ha ha) or using this opportunity and make some money, then I will reach nowhere. That wisdom somewhere was there. But for me to resist all the villainous offers required me to be resilient.
This in practical terms meant struggle?
Yeah, it required to be having no bank balance, staying in a rented place , which I was doing for so long.So I really didn’t know where to go .This was when Shool happened.
I believe you were part of the project from the start?
Yeah, when was being planned , I was more or less part of all the conversation that was happening between Ramu and Anurag Kashyap and everybody.But my name was not occurring as the main guy.
You mean others were being considered for the protagonist’s role?
So many other stars were being, you know, mentioned and they were being approached and I kept on telling Ramu and Anurag that please consider my name too. But somewhere, you know, Ramu was looking for a star face for that role and I was dying inside. I knew that if I get this role, somewhere the film industry will get this message that I can play a lead in a film, that I can carry a film on my own shoulder.
More Pages: Shool Box Office Collection
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