Exclusive: Manoj Bajpayee opens up about his nude scenes in Despatch: ‘It was the most difficult thing I have ever done’
In an exclusive chat with HTCity, actor Manoj Bajpayee explained the struggles behind his first nude scenes in his upcoming film
Manoj Bajpayee, one of the most versatile actors in the industry, has amazed audiences with his wide range of roles. From playing a ruthless gangster in Gangs of Wasseypur (2012)to a principled police officer in Shool (1999) to a homosexual professor in Aligarh (2015), not forgetting his beloved portrayal of an undercover spy in The Family Man, Bajpayee has proved time and again that he can embody any character with ease. However, there’s one side of the actor that we’ve never seen before — an exploration of lust and intimacy. We’ve never seen Bajpayee behind closed doors, in the arms of a lover, or in intimate nude scenes. But that’s exactly what he dares to take on in his latest film, Despatch, where he steps into uncharted territory. In an exclusive chat with HTCity for Stars In The City, Bajpayee opens up about the struggles he faced while filming these bold scenes.
What led him to take on such a role after 30 years in the industry? Bajpayee explained, “I had a lot of talks with Kanu (the director), and he really convinced me to take this step. And somewhere, these scenes are really necessary to show the exchange, the emotional exchange between him (the protagonist) and his wife or his girlfriend. And those exchanges were very intense, so we had to have that conversation (in the film); that should happen inside a room, in a very private way. We couldn’t think of any other way.” However, the decision wasn’t an easy one for Bajpayee, who admitted that his “village boy” roots, his shy and reserved nature, made him hesitant. “I was completely convinced with the whole thing, the only thing that was stopping me was the village boy that was still in me. The shy, reserved, and withdrawn Manoj Bajpayee,” quipped the actor who hails from Bihar.
When asked about his family’s opinion on these scenes, he laughed and said, “My wife is a cool cat that way. The only thing was that if my wife wants to do it, then I can have no problem, which is fair and which is fine with me. She's a very good judge of a film or a story, so my problem was not that. My problem was my own self, you know, who's come from a small place. I have always been struggling with this — in whatever few relationships I've had before marriage I never could gather the guts to say ‘I love you’ to a girl. It was always the girl because she got so frustrated with this man not really coming out with his feelings. So that problem persisted with me."
The actor also mentioned that he was always aware of the camera when it came to such a scene, but after a lot of workshopping and a healthy amount of time to become comfortable with his co-star. “But yes, it was the most difficult thing I have ever done, iske baad maine kaan pakad liye hai,” he laughed. Fans can look forward to watching Despatch on December 13.
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