If there is one actor known for bringing a fair share of realism into mainstream cinema, it’s Manoj Bajpayee. The past decade, in particular, has been splendid for the actor, earning him both critical acclaim and commercial success with works like Aligarh (2016), Sonchiriya (2019), and The Family Man (2019-2025). For such an actor, the challenge of headlining Governor, based on the life of former RBI Governor S Venkitaramanan, comes with extra pressures of research, authenticity, and sincerity. About his role in the Governor, Manoj says, “Research is crucial here because you are trying to get the essence of a character rather than imitating him. I also had to familiarise myself with the financial jargon, and sound convinced about it. I knew I had to read those lines as many times as possible, and know the context, the depth of our national crisis back then.”
Elaborating on why he found it essential to make Governor, director Chinmay Mandlekar says, “Those born after 1991 may not know, but December 1990 to July 1991 was a major transitional period for India. If not for the economic decisions taken at that time, our country would be in a bad place now. So, I felt the need to show respect and gratitude to those people, and the decisions they took.” Reflecting on how biopics have taken off in a major way in the past decade, Chinmay states, “The audience has evolved. Now, people are changing their perspective on what happened in the past, and want to know more. Secondly, certain kinds of stories have already been told. Like love stories, comedies will always thrive, but I am happy that people are now willing to watch different series or films, based on real-life events.”
Incidentally, Manoj too began his film career with an unofficial biopic, Shekhar Kapur’s Bandit Queen (1994). Plenty has changed in the past three decades, Manoj says, while also pointing out those he finds unsettling. He explains, “When things are too organised, a disadvantage arises: we become too robotic in our relationships on the set. Earlier, we ate together, tried to get to know each other, and learned from their journey. There was warmth. Even apart from shooting, we would meet at each other's houses, dance, and talk a lot. Those relationships are still alive. Now, however, nobody stays back after the wrap. Everyone goes to their own space. However, as a senior unit member, I try to create the old days' vibe on my sets.” On a light note, Manoj adds that Ram Gopal Varma is one filmmaker who hasn’t changed at all. The two, who delivered some memorable works like Satya (1998), Kaun (1999), and Road (2002), are collaborating after nearly a decade on Police Station Mein Bhoot, which is expected to release later this year. “RGV is still the same. He still works the same way, and that is why he surprises us first and then the audience with his final product,” he says.
Recalling the working atmosphere on the sets of Governor, Chinmay says, “On our set, we have a rule that the entire direction team will be there for lunch. We cook food, and we eat together. It keeps that camaraderie going.” Manoj adds, “There is a warmth on the set. I’ve been lucky that Chinmay is an actor and comes from a theatre background. Whether we collaborate on the next film or not, this relationship goes beyond the set, and it’s important. We are spending a lot of time together, more than with our own families, so it has to give me that sense of comfort. For that, my co-actors become very important to me.”
Speaking of camaraderie, Manoj recalls his long association with Vipul Amrutlal Shah, who is the producer for Governor. In the past few years, Vipul has come under a lot of scrutiny for backing The Kerala Story franchise, which generated a lot of controversy for its politically charged narrative. Does the controversy surrounding these films bother Manoj or play a part in his decision-making? “I have known Vipul for many years. He has made many successful films. We tried to work in Holiday (2014), but that couldn't happen. As a producer, Vipul can choose to make whatever he wants. It doesn't matter to me, nor should it to anyone. One should focus only on the project at hand, which has Manoj Bajpayee as the lead, Chinmay Mandlekar as the director, and people like Amit Trivedi and Javed Akhtar working on the music. These people are more interested in telling a story of an unsung hero.”
