What drew Manoj Bajpayee-Divya Dutta to 'Last Man in Tower'
What's the story
The upcoming film Last Man in Tower, directed by Ben Rekhi and produced by Rana Daggubati's Spirit Media, is set to hit theaters on September 11. The movie stars Manoj Bajpayee as Yogesh Mishra (Master ji), a retired schoolteacher who becomes embroiled in a conflict over a redevelopment decision affecting his community. Divya Dutta plays Mrs. Sangeeta Puri, who stands on the opposite side of the conflict.
Actor's perspective
How Bajpayee prepared for the role
Bajpayee told ANI that he usually doesn't read the books on which his films are based.
"It is not necessary for an actor to read the book on which a script is based. Some people read the books, while others don't."
However, he made an exception for Last Man in Tower.
"I wanted to understand how [Aravind] Adiga had looked at the redevelopment of Mumbai and how much of it he had experienced and observed as a novelist."
Character
More on Bajpayee's character
The actor added, "The kind of journey a character is living through and the journey he has already lived are very different."
"The time when he was studying and the time he finds himself in today are completely different worlds, and yet he doesn't seem to have much difficulty adjusting to the world around him."
Character depth
Dutta on her character
Dutta described her character as strong and complex, with many layers that are not immediately visible.
She said, "There are layers to every character, and that is always very good for an actor."
"Mrs. Sangeeta Puri is deeply shaped by her circumstances. Whether it is having a special child at home, being a caretaker, or the communication gap with her husband, there are many things that are not discussed openly."
Film adaptation
More about 'Last Man in Tower'
Last Man in Tower is an adaptation of Adiga's novel of the same name.
The screenplay has been written by Sooni Taraporevala, with Hindi dialogues by Juhi Chaturvedi.
The film also stars Sukant Goel and Boman Irani.
It features music by Govind Vasantha and cinematography by Rangarajan Ramabadran. Guneet Dogra and Pratiksha Rao are also producers.