Manoj Bajpai

Manoj Bajpai has been there and done that all, he has time and again with his striking performance proved his talent. From theatre to television to films, he has donned various roles with diverse characters and is famous for playing offbeat & unconventional roles.

Manoj for the first time speaks about his TV days, his future projects and much more in this exclusive interview with GR8! 

You have been an integral part of a TV serial, Swaabhimaan; tell us about those days…
Well, during the Swaabhimaan days TV wasn’t such a great boom. DD was the biggest thing for people and a couple of private channels were attaining momentum. Thus as there wasn’t much choice of channels, Swaabhimaan was a household name. I also did a TV Series, Imtihaan which was directed by Imtiaz Ali and produced by Anupam Kher. I gradually distanced myself from TV as I wanted to concentrate on films. 

A lot of Bollywood actors are seen on TV, if given a chance will you like to feature on TV again?
Reality shows are interesting but I have always maintained that I am not open about myself and my life. I lack the guts to appear on national TV and talk about my personal life. I would love do a chat show or something that is interesting.

What will you like to do, judge, participate or host a show?
I would like to judge or anchor. Amitabh Bachchan created history with KBC and Salman has been outstanding as the host of Dus Ka Dum and Bigg Boss. I would love to anchor a show that’s different and would suit my personality.


If you get a good script, will you be comfortable doing a TV serial?
I am comfortable with all mediums of acting; as an Actor, I look at my role and not the medium. Films have kept me busy and doing a fictional show on TV means giving commitment of time. TV has its own demands and deadlines and this is what stops many film actors from being a part of TV. Reality shows are safe as they don’t demand a lot of time.
 

What is the difference between TV and Bollywood?
There isn’t any difference actually. Both mediums entertain lakhs of people and keep you busy.   


Which shows do you watch regularly?
Because of my wife I watch many shows quite regularly. I personally like Oprah Winfrey’s show, it’s really good. But otherwise thanks to my wife, I get to see a variety of shows like Sex and the City, Rules of Engagement, Criminal Minds and many more.

As a kid the shows that you never missed were…?
I am from a village and there was no TV in our village. I started watching TV when I came to Delhi. The first thing that I saw on TV was the Cricket Match and I was really overwhelmed to see cricket live (Smiles).
 

The hottest TV personality according to you is…
I will be a little bias here and say Sakshi Tanwar as I have worked with her and know her personally (Smiles).
 

The most adorable Bollywood Star on TV?
Salman Khan without a doubt.
 

Do you believe television in India has progressed over the years?
TV has progressed in numbers but in quality it has a long way to go. 


What are the changes that you would want to bring on TV?
Quality Inflation…
 

In one word, Indian Television is…
Necessity…

 

- Dharmishtha Dagia