Masterminds of extortion scheme also framed Bollywood actress, many others, according to Mumbai Police
The actor plays a victim of child abuse in In The Shadows that premiered to a packed house at VOX Cinemas on Sunday evening. We caught up with Manoj yesterday at Al Qasr Hotel. Excerpts from our conversation.
Your movie opened to a packed house in Dubai...
It is always a great feeling when you make a film which is not mainstream. It feels really emotional when people come to see such movies and react in a psychological way. It is a great reward for a filmmaker and the actor who has gone completely away from mainstream and discovered this genre.
What prompted you to sign the movie?
I read the script and I immediately responded to director Dipesh (Jain) by saying that this story needs to be told. It is not only about child abuse, it is also about what child abuse can do and to what extent it can damage a person. This was a very personal, internal and psychological story. I knew that it was going to challenge me massively as an actor. This film put me on my toes. It was difficult and it took away a lot of my energy and mental peace. But at the end of the day, that is what my job is - to go through the pain and the suffering to get to the core of my character. When people find my performance so real that they cannot differentiate between the actor and the character, then my job is well done.
You took on a bold role in Aligarh. In this film, you play a victim of child abuse. Does it take a toll on you, to play such difficult characters?
Such roles do mess you up from inside. As an actor, you will feel troubled. Such films take a toll on you. These films have motivated or compelled me to go for the meditation. I am well taken care of because I do my meditations regularly. Any actor, after having done so many mentally challenging roles, becomes moody and quiet. It is the impact of the elements of those roles which is left in your mind.
You have found a great space in the Indie movie market, do you prefer these films over commercial potboilers?
I have done all kinds of films and I think that mainstream movies have given me a far wider reach. People know my work and it has given me a solid base to go and experiment with myself in a film like this or Aligarh. It is because of those movies and performances that I can support independent movies in India which are doing fantastically well.
With movies like Newton, Bareilly Ki Barfi, Aligarh doing well at the box office, do you think the line between mainstream and Indie cinema is blurring?
We have to keep on doing good movies and get audiences used to watching these kind of movies and getting used to new content. Slowly and gradually, they are demanding (good) content in mainstream films too. They want sensible movies. I hope that scriptwriters start getting some kind of credibility or respect in our industry. This will be very crucial for the new kind of cinema to emerge.
"I am doing Aiyary with Neeraj Pandey. It talks about military life but not about the border. I have just finished another Independent film called Bhonsle which will start going to film festivals starting early next year. I am doing a very interesting role in a commercial potboiler Baaghi 2 with Tiger Shroff and Ahmed Khan. I am also doing a film with John Abraham."
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