Mumbai

Actor Manoj Bajpayee says working in Shekhar Kapur's Bandit Queen was a transformative experience that shaped his understanding of screen acting, even though the acclaimed film did not immediately boost his career prospects.

Bajpayee, who is preparing to reunite with Kapur for the upcoming film Masoom: The Next Generation, made one of his earliest screen appearances in the filmmaker's 1994 biographical crime drama based on the life of Phoolan Devi. In the film, he portrayed the character of Maan Singh.

Reflecting on the impact of the project, Bajpayee said Bandit Queen did not translate into instant professional success for him, unlike for several others associated with the film.

"The film didn't work wonders for my career, although it benefited many other actors. I landed Ram Gopal Varma's project nearly five years later. The delay happened because I played a restrained character, and at that time, the industry, filmmakers and even audiences weren't accustomed to appreciating quiet, understated performances," Bajpayee said in an interview with PTI.

The actor recalled one lesson from Kapur that fundamentally changed the way he approached acting.

"He told me, 'Forget that the camera exists and focus only on your performance.' From that day onward, I stopped worrying about the camera. My attention remained solely on what the scene demanded and how truthfully I could perform it," Bajpayee said.

The National Award-winning actor said he is excited about collaborating with veterans Naseeruddin Shah and Shabana Azmi in Masoom: The Next Generation.

"It's always thrilling to work with exceptional actors because they push you to elevate your own performance. You don't take any moment lightly. I'm equally excited about working with Shekhar Kapur again and am eagerly waiting for him to call me for the script reading sessions," he said.

Bajpayee also expressed his desire to collaborate once again with filmmaker Anurag Kashyap, whom he described as a creative force driven by rebellion and restlessness.

Kashyap has shared a long professional association with Bajpayee, having written films such as Satya, Shool and Kaun. He later directed Bajpayee in the celebrated Gangs of Wasseypur series, where the actor's portrayal of Sardar Khan became one of his most iconic performances.

"I enjoy working with people who challenge the status quo because their dissatisfaction with society often brings freshness to storytelling and performances. Anurag has always been like that. I've known him since he was in his early twenties, and he was an exciting personality even then," Bajpayee said.

"Today, despite becoming older, he still wants to create something groundbreaking. People who are inherently restless and rebellious may appear quiet for a while, but they always retain the ability to surprise you," he added.

Bajpayee is currently gearing up for the release of his forthcoming film, Governor: The Silent Saviour. Inspired by real-life events, the film explores the financial crisis that gripped India during the economic turmoil of the 1990s.

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Directed by Chinmay Mandlekar, known for Inspector Zende, the movie is slated to hit theatres on Friday