Actor Manoj Bajpayee is all set for the release of his upcoming film, Gulmohar. The drama co-starring veteran actor Sharmila Tagore touches upon the themes of emotional ties and familial love and will premiere on Disney+ Hotstar on March 3. It sees Bajpayee playing Tagore’s son and interestingly, it marks their first onscreen union. In an exclusive chat with News18, he talks about feeling fortunate to have shared screen space with Tagore, who returns to the screens about thirteen years after Break Ke Baad (2010).
Bajapyee says, “Whatever I say about Sharmila ji will be less. She’s one of the most graceful and independent women I know. The manner with which she carries herself before the camera and the manner with which she shows interest in every cast and crew member and the entire process [of filmmaking] is quite enlightening for me.” Elated to be in her good books, he adds, “I feel very lucky that she loves me. She expressed some good words about me after we had wrapped up the shoot. It was a privilege to be in the company of Sharmila Tagore.”
Shedding some light on the film, the 53-year-old elaborates, “Gulmohar is a family film with a difference and it’s unlike anything we’ve watched earlier. We’re hopeful that each and everyone watching it will enjoy it. It has been appreciated and praised by everyone who has watched it so far. I’m excited to see people’s reactions after they watch it once it releases. Rahul V Chittella, who has earlier worked with Mira Nair (filmmaker), and I are very confident and proud of the film. Gulmohar not just talks about family values but also the inner conflicts within a family.”
Gulmohar might be his first release of 2023 but he has already tasted success as Joram, one of his upcoming films, had its world premiere at the 52nd International Film Festival Rotterdam early this month, and received an overwhelming response from the global audience. Talking about it, Bajpayee shares, “Zee Studios has been very insistent on me attending the film festival. The festival also wanted me to take some time out and be there. I travelled with my director (Devashish Makhija) and the team at the production house. It was quite a party for everyone!”
While Bajpayee and Makhija’s last film Bhonsle (2018), which won the former Best Actor at the National Film Awards in 2021, was also screened at the film festival, his experience this time around was rather different and special. “We didn’t travel there the last time. What was different this time around was the category under which Joram was chosen and that proved to be our big ticket – the Big Screen Competition. It’s very difficult to feature in this section because they usually choose the best films in that category,” the Ray and The Family Man actor explains.
He goes on to say that Joram’s premiere at the film gala proved to be a watershed moment for the film. “It’s a big achievement. It’s a huge take-off point for the journey that Joram is going to have. When you register yourself for a global film festival, it means that your country’s presence is felt in it. It also helps push your film when you’re marketing it within our country because a film festival attaches a kind of credibility and value to your film,” says the actor, who will also be seen in Netflix’s dark comedy Soup alongside actor Konkona Sensharma, soon.
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