Manoj Bajpayee on Joram, His 2023, and Frustrations with the Modern World

Manoj Bajpayee is back in a scene-stealing role in Joram, which debuted last weekend in theaters following critical acclaim at festivals. The multitalented actor plays Dasru in the Devashish Makhija film, a Jharkhandi tribal who must scrounge a living in Mumbai. His life is turned upside down when his wife (Tannishtha Chatterjee) is killed and he must flee with his three-and-a-half-month-old daughter. t2 spoke with Manoj about his amazing 2023, his frustrations in the modern world, and his role as Dasru in Joram.

You must have had a number of motivations for wanting to complete Joram. Which were the main ones?

First and foremost, I always seek out compelling scripts that go beyond what viewers have already seen, done, or experienced on screen. The main reason I make a film, or any film, really, is to interact with the audience.

After that, I consider the world the movie is attempting to depict, my role within it, the way it is framed, and the director. You know, there are just so many things. There isn't just one thing.

In this film, director Devashish Makhija tackles a world that hasn't been touched in a very long time. No film has been made in that environment in more than three or four decades.

What exactly about this character drew your attention? Did you identify with any parts of this character that you brought to life?

Dasru's bond with his daughter, who is three and a half months old. At that age, she has no voice, and Dasru has none at all, just like his daughter. Because of societal norms, he has no voice. Even in their quiet moments together, there's a lot going on between them. That is what inspired me to make this film on an emotional level.

This position appears to be extremely demanding in a number of ways.

The challenges are numerous when you decide to take on a project you have never worked on before and the character is someone we haven't seen much of on screen. While there is a lot of imagination in this movie, there is also a lot of experience from my hometown of Belwa in Bihar, which was useful. The difficulty lay in attempting to adopt the characteristics of someone from a different class, as well as in figuring out his spiritual status and internal conflict. It can be extremely difficult to even put yourself in the shoes of a character when you are working on something very different and infrequently shown on screen.

Do you think that the emotional and physical challenges in this movie were comparable?

You know, physical challenges are something one can overcome. While there are physical demands associated with every second film, the mental challenge is something you have to deal with for the entire day. Additionally, you really cannot handle the demands of the outside world when you are not mentally well.

You can develop a beard or a moustache. A nutritionist can help you gain or lose weight. However, what about the character's inner self that creates their body language and transforms your eyes into theirs? It is crucial to transform your inner self to fit the demands of the role.

You and Devashish Makhija have a very successful working relationship as director and actor, spanning from Taandav to Bhonsle to Joram. What is it about your relationship that makes it so successful? And what makes his voice as a director so distinctive?

He is a highly conscious individual. As a citizen of this nation as well, I am constantly troubled by the injustices in our society.

The daily events that take place in our nation disturb me. The injustice that has persisted in this society for a very long time always enrages and provokes me. Makhija is also a very angry person with a lot of fire inside of him. And he expresses himself fully when he writes a screenplay or a novel. And I genuinely adore this about him. He is extremely current and relevant. A person learns so much while getting ready for a movie.

Do all the characters you have portrayed in his films reflect his anger in some way?

I don't believe Taandav was angry; rather, there was a very intense conflict. Indeed, you do see that Bhonsle harbors a simmering anger that he really finds a way to express when he discovers meaning in life. No one is angry in Joram. Dasru only expresses anger once, and he only feels regret for it during the whole movie.

What is it about the modern world that enrages you?

I'm not angry about it anymore. I've largely accepted a lot of things in my life. The remaining bit of frustration is about how unfairly we are treating those who are truly capable of delivering.

The daily news that I read in newspapers or on social media is what affects me. In society, there are far too many events taking place. That affects me personally. Images of people suffering and children dying have an effect on me. It unsettles me, and then I think of German writer Bertolt Brecht, who once stated that war is pointless and that the majority of those who suffer from its effects are children.

How does 2023 seem to you now? You starred in two highly acclaimed films, Sirf Ek Banda Kaafi and Gulmohar. Hey....

This year has been excellent. I've had the best opportunities over the past five years, and I've taken advantage of them pretty regularly. I get to select from the best scripts now. It has gotten to the point where there are times when I'm not sure which one to choose.

All I can hope is that this period of time lasts for everyone, not just for myself. I think OTT just needs to step it up a notch at this point. I get the impression that OTT in our nation is also struggling with whether to focus on independent, middle-of-the-road, or mainstream film. They used to be open to all kinds of excellent movies. However, since movie theater attendance has increased due to potboilers, I've noticed a certain amount of disarray on the OTT platforms. I'm aware of everything, and all I can hope is that they don't start to doubt excellent movies.

Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Press Time staff and has been published from a syndicated feed.