Why Bal Thackeray was 'baffled' after watching 'Satya'
What's the story
Manoj Bajpayee's breakout role in Ram Gopal Varma's 1998 film Satya made him a nationwide star. The actor's portrayal of gangster Bhiku Mhatre was so convincing that even the late Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray believed he was Marathi. In a recent interview with Hindustan Times, Bajpayee revealed that Thackeray invited him to his home after watching the film.
Actor's encounter
Thackeray asked Bajpayee to learn Marathi
Bajpayee said, "He invited me to his place. He gave me so much respect, but he was completely baffled when he came to know that I am not from Maharashtra." "And then he asked me to learn Marathi. He was so disappointed, but I had a great meeting with him. He gave me lots of blessings for the future."
Film impact
Bajpayee earlier spoke about impact of 'Satya'
In an earlier chat with PTI, Bajpayee had called Satya a "game changer" in his career. He said, "I look at it as a game changer. It has completely changed the industry." "From the way the stories were told to the craft, or the way people look at filmmaking or performances, everything was so new both for the industry and audience."
Character preparation
How Bajpayee designed Mhatre's look in 'Satya'
Bajpayee also shared insights into the styling process for his character in Satya. He was given a budget of ₹25,000 to shop for his costumes and took it upon himself to design Mhatre's look. "I was of the opinion that I knew exactly what kind of clothes Bhiku Mhatre would wear," he told Galatta India. "So I used to come to Hill Road quite often, looking for the kind of fabric and prints that would reflect him."
New project
Meanwhile, watch Bajpayee in 'Governor'
Bajpayee's latest film, Governor, directed by Chinmay D Mandlekar, is currently running in theaters. The film tells the story of former Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor S Venkitaramanan and his role in saving India from the 1990s economic crisis. Bajpayee plays Venkitaramanan and has transformed into a 60-year-old Tamil bureaucrat for the role. The movie also stars Adah Sharma and Madhoo.