Manoj Bajpayee: Won't do film if its politics disturb me

Manoj Bajpayee says it is essential for artistes to align with a movie's message, as he readies to front a short film on Gandhi

Manoj Bajpayee, who acted in The Family Man, one of last year's big hits on the web, has kicked off 2020 with Gandhi: A Perspective, a short film on Mahatma Gandhi. "The young generation has almost no idea about Gandhiji's contribution or his teachings," rues Bajpayee, who is seen explaining the leader's principle of non-violence to his teenage son in the film.

Over the past few weeks, the country has become a cauldron of unrest, with the students of Jawaharlal Nehru University and anti-CAA protestors being attacked. Asserting that dissent holds a vital place in a democracy, Bajpayee says that Gandhian principles are all the more relevant today. "Violence has no place in a civilised society. Only non-violence, discourse and debate will win in the end. It's important that we hear the students' point of view and understand them. We are at a stage where people are intolerant of each other's views, and discourse is diminishing. This is the time for all Indians to remember Gandhiji's [principles]—ahimsa, debate, and satyagraha."

Manoj Bajpayee

Recently, Saif Ali Khan (inset) stated that he did not agree with the politics of his latest release, Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior, thus sparking a debate on whether actors should back content they do not align with, only in the hope of a box-office success. Fortunately, Bajpayee says the ideals presented in the Subhash Ghai-directed movie resonate with him.

"I don't know what Saif has said nor have I seen Tanhaji. All I will say is that if the politics of a film disturb me, I would never do it—no matter how great the script. If I'm not in complete agreement with [the idea presented in the script], at least, it shouldn't shake me up completely or make me feel that I am doing something I don't believe in," he states, before adding a disclaimer. "At the end of the day, if the script is engaging, is not hurting your morality too much, and you know that it will be viewed only as a film, I don't think there's harm in doing it."

Saif Ali Khan

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