The intriguing and action-packed trailer of Manoj Bajpayee's 100th film Bhaiyya Ji was unveiled by the makers at an event in Mumbai on Thursday. Directed by Apoorv Singh Karki, the film will showcase the actor in a never-seen-before avatar. The trailer promises a gripping narrative and gives a glimpse of the face-off between Bhaiyya Ji and Suvinder Pal Vicky's character.
While interacting with media persons, Manoj expressed gratitude and said he is excited for the release of his 100th film. Looking back at his journey in the industry, he said, "I consider myself extremely lucky and by God's grace, I'm here for my 100th film. I wasn't sure if I'll do even 10 films. Everyone struggles and works hard but I am grateful for all the love and respect I've received over the years."
Sharing his experience of working on Bhaiyya Ji, the actor said, "When Apoorv said he wanted to make such a film with me, I did not agree immediately. I told him I'll get you another actor to play the lead role. But he insisted I play it and that's how everything came together."
Manoj also stated that he performed most of the action scenes despite being injured. "Still there are so many sore points in my body. It's been eight to nine months but I'm still trying to recover. It was very tough and I used to ask Approv why he's making me do all the action scenes. But we couldn't afford to stop the shoot even for a single day. There was a specific budget in place. We all were working very hard and everyone worked on it passionately," he said.
Zoya Hussain, who will be seen opposite Manoj in the film, shared, "I was scared and intimidated at first. But I feel very fortunate to have been able to be a part of this film. It's truly been a special experience."
Suvinder Pal, best known for his role in Kohhra, will be seen as the antagonist in Bhaiyya Ji. On collaborating with Manoj, he said, "I always wanted to share screen space with Manoj. It was definitely a challenge to play the villain and I used to wonder if people would accept me in such a role. I would like to thank Manoj for making me comfortable on sets."
Director Apporv explained the reason why Bhaiyya Ji will connect to the audience. "Manoj sir wanted to make Bhaiyya Ji as an art film. But I insisted that he make it a larger-than-life film. I cooked the story with Deepak Kingrani (writer) and Manoj sir really liked it. That's how Bhaiyya Ji happened. I was bored of seeing other actors in slow motion. Being a Manoj Bajpayee fan, I told him that now it's his turn. I think even the audience wants to see him as an action hero. Bhaiyya Ji is his 100th film but he has never played such a character before. It is a very rooted film and I'm sure the audience will love it," he said.
The producer of Bhaiyya Ji as well as Manoj's wife Shabana Raza Bajpayee was all praise for the actor. "The idea of the film was Manoj's and we all developed it. The experience was amazing and Manoj helming the film was excellent. Manoj also motivates all his co-actors on sets and it becomes a workshop. As a producer, I went on sets and it was surreal to see how they were shooting. I also got to learn a lot of things," she stated. Bhaiyya Ji is set to release in theatres on May 24.
