Mumbai: Manoj Bajpayee, who is looking forward to the release of his latest movie ‘Bhaiyya Ji’, said that he’s grateful he got the opportunity to star in 100 films in a 30-year career in the industry. Regarded as one of the most dependable performers, Bajpayee is known for films such as ‘Satya’, ‘Shool’, ‘Aligarh’, ‘Gangs of Wasseypur’ as well as ‘The Family Man’ web series. ‘Bhaiyya Ji’, directed by Apoorv Singh Karki, marks his 100th film.
The National Award winner, who hails from Bihar, said that there was a time he thought he wouldn’t be able to star in 10 movies. “I am lucky. I never thought I’d get a chance to do even 10 films, but I reached the 100-film mark. If you are consistent, Mumbai will accept you after some time. Everyone works hard and has their fair share of struggles. I am grateful to God and the audience for all I have,” Bajpayee told reporters at the trailer launch of ‘Bhaiyya Ji’ here.
The upcoming film is a revenge action drama that also stars Suvinder Vicky, Jatin Goswami, Vipin Sharma and Zoya Hussain. Bajpayee hopes ‘Bhaiyya ji’ changes the audience’s perception of the term ‘bhaiyya’, often used to mock people belonging to north Indian states, including Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.
“People from Bihar, UP, MP or Chhattisgarh are called ‘bhaiyya’ jokingly in big cities. We thought ‘Bhaiyya nahin. Bhaiyya ji’ was a good tagline. It means ‘Don’t mock. Be respectful’. If our film works with the audience’s blessings, then everyone would like to be called ‘Bhaiyya ji’,” the 55-year-old actor added.
‘Bhaiyya Ji’ is a ‘Bhanushali Studios Limited’, ‘SSO Productions’ and ‘Aurega Studios’ production. Vinod Bhanushali, Kamlesh Bhanushali, Samiksha Oswal, Shael Oswal and Vikram Khakhar also serve as producers on the film, which will release in theatres on May 24.