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Manoj Bajpayee reveals why he decided to play the father of three grown-up kids in Gulmohar

Manoj Bajpayee was speaking at the FICCI Frames 2023 event in Mumbai on May 3.

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Gulmohar

By Jyothi Venkatesh

Talking about the film Gulmohar of which he was the leading man, actor Manoj Bajpai said that he readily accepted the offer when he was offered the role, he did in the film Gulmohar only because he found the subject engaging as well as mesmerizing. He added, “It’s very important for me to see the world after I finish reading the subject. I could not see the director but I was frankly compelled to do the character which I played in Gangs of Wasseypur though it took me three months to just get the sur”.

Manoj Bajpayee added that though no actor in the world would like to play the role of a hero to three grown-up kids, he agreed to do the role only because he realized Arun Batra’s relationship with his wife and kids and he could relate to the character and decided to go ahead and give the shot. Priyanka Jha, former editor of the weekly Screen moderated the discussion.

Manoj Bajpayee confessed that apart from the film Harry Potter, the only other film that his 12-year-old daughter has watched was Gulmohar that too with permission from his wife Shabana. Bikram Duggal who has produced the film Gulmohar said that when he read the script, he realized that it was very compelling especially because it was a story that he could read and suspend his belief. “Each and every character in the film was rich on paper and we wanted to see them in flesh and blood. It is a journey which I am going to cherish all my life especially since the whole family of actors was like my own family”.

Also read: FICCI Frames 2023: Ayushmann Khurrana on Oscar-winning ‘The Elephant Whisperers’ and his visit to Mudumalai in 2015

Rahul who is the director of the film Gulmohar said that he got the inspiration for the film after he saw director Mira Nair selling her house in Delhi and all the four characters of his film- Manoj Bajpai, Sharmila Tagore, Suraj, and Simran. “I told Manoj that my film Gulmohar was like an ensemble film and added that he got a lot of confidence that actors like Manoj Bajpai are very secure to agree to play characters like the one he has played in the film Gulmohar.”

Utsavi who plays Amrita, one of the important roles in the film Gulmohar said that it was Ehsaan who had recommended her to Paddy, and it was Paddy who in turn recommended her to Rahul after which she had done a two-hour audition. She adds that it was her debut film and way different from the other jobs that she has done earlier especially since she is also a lyricist and has also sang songs. I am grateful to Rahul.”

Rahul said that it was a collaborative experience and added that he does not have any ego and he feels that if someone has a better idea, he will readily grab it selfishly. He added that the shooting in Deli for Gulmohar was literally like a picnic for 36 days especially since he was away from Mumbai and the best part was that there was no disagreement and only collaboration.

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