MUMBAI: Acclaimed actor Manoj Bajpayee reflected on whether he has been typecast in middle-class characters during his career.
During an exclusive conversation with IANS, Bajpayee shared that he likes embracing real-life, middle-class characters that resonate deeply with audiences.
'The Family Man' actor added that observing everyday personalities brings authenticity to his roles, making acting a rich and fulfilling experience.
Speaking to IANS, Bajpayee shared: "I enjoy doing these roles, I enjoy playing common people because I relate to them. Each and every character that I read, I feel like I have seen them somewhere - in real life, in a documentary, in my initial days in Mumbai, in the train. When we were in theatre, observation was a big, big exercise for us."
Sharing an incident from his theatre days, he added: "Once I spoke to a director and I said, 'We can't be observing all the time, people will eventually beat us up - Why are you looking at me? '" He made it very easy, he said, "Observation is such a big part of an actor's personality that even if he is not looking at someone, he is observing. So, make it a part of your personality". So we actors are like that- we are observers of our own life, we are observers of people's life, what's happening in society."
"Whenever a character comes, I feel I have seen him somewhere, or his problem is extremely relatable. I find it really amazing to play such characters", Bajpayee concluded.
Work-wise, Bajpayee is waiting for the release of his forthcoming comedy thriller "Inspector Zende".
Helmed and penned by Chinmay Mandlekar, the drama will feature Bajpayee as Inspector Madhukar Zende and Jim Sarbh as Carl Bhojraj, a character inspired by the infamous serial killer Charles Sobhraj.