Manoj Bajpayee’s recently released film Bhaiyya Ji, directed by Apoorv Singh Karki, is his 100th film. In an exclusive chat with Filmfare, he speaks about the challenges of doing an action film, spending 30 years in the industry, and his never-give-up attitude.

After doing films like Ek Hi Banda Kaafi Hai, Killer Soup and Silence, how much fun was it to work in an action-based commercial film?

I’m really having fun. Also, I have been offered these kinds of films in the past, but somewhere the director’s intention was different, and I always waited for a director who had conviction in me and wanted to make a film for fun rather than just to make money. I had a story in my mind that I was in the middle of the road genre or looking to work in the independent film genre. Apoorva Singh Karki wanted to make this film with me. He said, “Sir, I have been watching Telugu and Tamil mainstream films since childhood and I want to make a similar film, and that too with you. If you do it, it will be an innovation.” Then I decided to just go and have fun, even if it meant risking my life.

What was the most challenging part of playing Bhaiyya Ji?

Action. Because acting is all about emotional challenges, but here it was more of a physical challenge. There were a lot of injuries, and we did not have many days or much money, but we still had to make it grand. We did not use many duplicates for the action scenes. Action Director S. Vijayan, a legend of the South, is a non-compromising action director. So, you have to forget the injuries, shoot every day, and finish it. It was such a big task. Any action film will be a cakewalk for me after the way action director Vijayan has trained me.

When you think about commercial cinema, what comes to your mind?

I don’t understand any other actor apart from Amitabh Bachchan, Vinod Khanna, and Shatrughan Sinha. This is the effect of my growing years. It’s the right film to be my 100th film. Right? Because those were the films I watched growing up, and now my 100th film is similar, so yes, I am very happy.

Has your acting process changed over the years?

I am not the kind of actor who does only one genre of film. This is the most difficult thing. On one hand, I did Killer Soup and just before that, I had a release like Gulmohar. When you constantly change genres, it does not allow you to be content or to relax. In such a situation, you are learning, then unlearning, because by constantly changing genres, the acting process becomes different and there is no repetition.

30 years in the industry… So when you look back, what clicks in your mind?

My first shoot, with Seema Biswas for Bandit Queen. Whenever I meet Shekhar Kapur, I cannot believe that it has been so many years since we did that film. It is a very big thing for me that I have spent 30 years in this industry with all the failures, rejection, and a little bit of success. The only thing that kept me going was my never-give-up attitude. I always say that if you come here, decide that you will keep walking. No matter how much you fall, you will get up and keep moving.

There must have been some sacrifices to achieve success.

The only sacrifice I made was my time with my parents. I have never seen them growing old, and now they are no more. I have never stayed with them. I was in a hostel when I was a child, then I left for Delhi. And then from Delhi to Mumbai. My life in Mumbai was such that I could never call them because I knew that they would struggle here alone.

Do you regret doing any film in the past?

When I look back, I remember that I did some rubbish films in between which I should not have done. But then I did such films for money because the household needs to run. Some films I also did for friendship…

How have you changed as a person in the last few years?

I have calmed down quite a bit. Maybe because of my experience and also with age you keep calming down. Earlier, I used to get very angry, but spiritual practices helped me deal with anger management. This is only possible when you realise that something is wrong. Until you understand that it is wrong, you cannot work on it. I knew from my childhood that my anger hurts people. It offends them. Being angry also caused problems for me, and I suffered from it too. So, I worked on it and now I’m able to control my anger.