Mumbai, September 6, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
National Award-winning actor Manoj Bajpayee, who is awaiting the release of his upcoming film Last Man in Tower, has said that actors are less concerned about portraying a particular age on screen and more focused on exploring the depth and layers of their characters.
Bajpayee made the remarks while speaking to IANS alongside actress Divya Dutta and director Ben Rekhi during the film’s promotional activities in Mumbai’s Andheri West.
“Playing a certain age is not something that we actors are so bothered about. What we are mostly bothered about is the layers that we can touch, the depth of the character,” Bajpayee said.
He compared characters to onions and human beings, saying that discovering their different layers was one of the most challenging aspects of acting.
“All the characters are like an onion, like a human being. To find those layers is a very difficult thing. There is a backstory, there is a characterization. You go through the script,” he said.
Bajpayee explained that the script offers actors several ideas from which they develop a backstory filled with “grays”, nuances and layers.
However, he said the real acting process begins with the shoot, when performers encounter circumstances that may require them to make subtle changes or shift their approach according to the demands of the film.
He said the setting, the energy of a co-actor and the way another performer approaches their character can push an actor to explore additional dimensions of a role.
“The way they are treating my character is also giving me an idea to have a few more layers to it. So it’s an ongoing process. Acting never stops. The whole process never stops before shooting,” he said.
Bajpayee added that the process truly “starts taking off with the shoot” and can sometimes move in a completely unexpected direction, even when the actor’s preparation has been extensive.
“It actually starts taking off with the shoot, and sometimes in a very new direction, where preparation actually didn’t go at all. The journey into the unknown is something I find quite fascinating,” he said.
He described the initial uncertainty of entering an unfamiliar role as intimidating but said the experience becomes enjoyable once the process begins.
“First, you are scared that you have to take a plunge into this dark hole. But once you are there, you start enjoying it,” he added.
Last Man in Tower is scheduled to release in cinemas on September 11, 2026.
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