Manoj Bajpayee's serene quarantine, his experience working with Jacqueline & more [Exclusive]

Manoj Bajpayee is an acting stalwart and is one of the finest exponents of method acting in the country, needless to say, he is an actor for all seasons. In an illustrious career of over 25 years, he has immortalized characters of all shades in movies and is now ruling the webspace. His film Mrs Serail Killer was released seven days ago on Netflix. And since then the actor is garnering praise for his stellar performance. Directed by Shirish Kundar, Netflix film has the right blend of drama, suspense and thrill for the audience.

In an exclusive conversation with International Business Times India, Manoj Bajpayee who is stuck in Uttrakhand due to lockdown spared some time amid low network in the mountains. The actor spoke about his role in Mrs Serial Killer and his experience working with Shirish Kundar and Jacqueline Fernandez. He further went on to talk about the rise of OTT platforms and lastly spills the beans on how he is spending his lockdown time with family amidst nature.

How did you get on board for Mrs Serial Killer?

Shrish came to me at the last minute and I somehow realised that even if the role is not so lengthy, I will have a great time shooting with him. Shrish has got a great way and style of telling the story without losing its mainstream elements.

Share your experience of working with Jacqueline Fernandez?

Working with her was great and as Jacqueline has said it in her interviews that our roles are so different and layered. As I was working with her for the first time and we cracked it on the first day itself. While I was shooting with her in Nainital I got to know that even she is into spiritualism. Overall, it was a fun time and got to know each other so well.

Audiences are praising your acting and are watching the film because it has you in it. How does it feel to have garnered so much love and warmth?

It is overwhelming to see so much love and adoration that I have got. I will always be thankful to them. And will think twice before choosing anything and shall always keep them in mind that they're waiting for something new and unique from me.

What are the things that you look for before going ahead with the script?

I don't select movies on the basis of genre. I select it on the basis of the script. It should be a wholesome script. The script should have all the shades and also have a unique quality to it. I personally feel that the audience should have a very unique experience while watching the movie- some entertainment and engagement. You know for me genre doesn't really mean anything until the story is told very well. You choose any genre and make a bad movie or show, it's pointless. It has to tell the story in a fashion where the audience is engaged. The minutest of things in the movie is what matters to me.

Do you think OTT will continue to boom even when the lockdown will be lifted?

Yes, you are absolutely right, currently, people have nothing to do during the lockdown. They can cook, clean, read, write but then they also want entertainment and that is something that currently only OTT platforms are able to do. Satellites started closing its shrine long back. There's a variety of content available on OTT platforms and people are consuming it massively. There are too many shows and movies. This is going to be life, one huge platform for viewers even after lockdown. Whatever content was made and scheduled for this time, is getting released accordingly. The shows and movies take a lot of time to be made, so you can't just release it just because there is a lockdown. To make a film or show, there are certain stages for its completion. Once the lockdown is over, all the OTT platforms and content are going to be in demand. You will also see a great rise in the making of the web shows. People will be attracted to working in web shows much more than earlier.

How are you spending your quarantine time with your family?

I'm stuck in Uttarakhand. We're in the mountains. The family is here. I was shooting here. The shooting stopped so the entire unit is gone. Few of us are left and the whole day we're giving our attention to the little one, the dogs, the house, the trees and the mountains. We're safer here. So, whenever Wi-Fi allows us to see anything, we just go ahead and watch something new; we try to go through all the platforms and see what we've missed out on. There's a great film which is streaming now. We're still catching up and there's a long way to go. I still feel there has to be quite a lot of work and seriousness required in making these shows.

Anything you'd want to tell your fans?

I would just thank them for making Mrs Serial Killer trend on no. 1 for a week, which is quite a unique thing. It's overwhelming that internationally and across the nation, this film is trending at the top position. It's a great feeling for the entire team.

Have you seen Mrs Serail Killer yet?