Along with Dhanush, actor Manoj Bajpayee was named Best Actor at the 67th National Film Awards on Monday. Manoj received his third national prize. While Manoj was honoured for his work on the film Bhonsle, Dhanush was honoured for his work on the Tamil film Asuran.
“I am very happy and thankful to each and everyone who believed in this film and believed in me. I’m thankful to my director Devashish Makhija and my co-actors Santosh (Juvekar) and Ipshita (Chakraborty), my producers Sandiip Kapoor, Piiyush Singh, Saurabh (Gupta) and all of these guys. I’m feeling thankful to each and everyone who have supported this film and supported me from the depth of my heart. I really feel this is an award not only for me but for all of yours guys. When Bhonsle completed its journey with this National Award, I am only feeling thankful and nothing else,” said Bajpayee.
Bajpayee plays retired cop Ganpath Bhonsle, who saves a young girl and her kid-brother from the wrath and scorn of a political henchman who wants to send all the migrant labourers back to their hometown.
The character of the gruff dying cop who finds a reason to live in protecting the violated siblings is a large cliché, but Bajpayee’s deeply nuanced pain-lashed performance deconstructs and rejuvenates it. This is a man who has nothing to lose and has decided that he’d rather go out with a bang than wither in his shack with a whimper. Manoj Bajpayee sets the tone for the film with a depiction that is the polar opposite of a performance. There are no dramatic high points in the performance to emphasise it.
