Filmmaker Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, who worked with actor Manoj Bajpayee for his debut film Aks in 2001, recently called the 52-year-old actor one of today’s “biggest international stars”. Rakesh believes that the Amazon Prime Video series The Family Man has added to Manoj’s already massive appeal. Interacting with the media during the Times Litfest, the 58-year-old filmmaker also said that TV became of prime importance during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Rakesh also praised Manoj for being true to his art. “Look at Manoj Bajpayee’s flexibility. The E Times quoted him as saying that he never gave up on what he believed in, which was himself and his art.
Talking about the breakout stars of the digital platform, the filmmaker also highlighted actress Shefali Shah’s performance in the Netflix crime drama – Delhi Crime. The show was based on the 2012 police investigation into the Nirbhaya rape and murder case. Shefali played the role of the Deputy Commissioner of Police who was in charge of the case.
Even though Rakesh acknowledged the resurgence of TV’s popularity during the pandemic, the filmmaker felt that nothing has changed even after the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. “You saw Bengal elections, nothing has changed. Now, look at the Ganpati celebrations, nothing has changed. I had friends who invited me for their children’s wedding, nothing changed,” he quipped, referring to the gross violation of Covid-19 rules.
After Aks did not receive such favorable reviews, Rakesh came back after five years with his second film – Rang De Basanti. The 2006 film featured an ensemble cast including Aamir Khan, Siddharth, Atul Kulkarni, R Madhavan, Sharman Joshi and Soha Ali Khan among others.
He won the Filmfare Award for Best Director for Rang De Basanti, which also won Best Film.
The 58-year-old then directed films like Delhi-6, Bhaag Milkha Bhaag and most recently Toofan.
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