Neeraj Pandey is credited with some incredibly sharp films that have remained iconic for years after their release. Pandey has the knack for making quintessential Bollywood thrillers engaging with his screenplay, plot line and technical finesse. Sure he has also had a few misfires but films like A Wednesday, Special 26, Baby, and MS Dhoni remain popular and relevant till now. His latest Sikandar Ka Muqaddar starts on a promising note and one almost finds Pandey's Midas&nbsp;touch to the narrative but somewhere through the course of 2 hours&nbsp;23-minute-long film. Starring Avinash Tiwary and Jimmy Shergill, the film is a heist drama that shows potential in the beginning to be an engaging story but becomes an exhausting watch by the end of it.&nbsp;

<h2>The plot of Sikandar Ka Muqaddar</h2>

It is a battle of egos between two men that forms the crux of the story. Investigating Officer Jaswinder Singh (Shergill) never quite got over the fact that his instincts about Sikandar (Tiwary) were not right regarding a diamond robbery. Back in 2009, at a diamond convention, diamonds worth Rs 5 crore (Rs 500 million) were stolen. IO Jaswinder was deputed to solve the case in 24 hours because of his successful track record. He rounded up three suspects, two employees of the store (including Kamini Singh played by Tamannaah Bhatia) from where the theft had taken place and computer technician Sikandar. Despite multiple court hearings, lack of evidence, and the three denying involvement, Jaswinder never was convinced.&nbsp; 
 
15 years later, as Sikandar and Kamini- now married- are living a comfortable life together, their past beckons. Having harboured resentment over his one wrong move for the past 15 years, Jaswinder now wants to apologise to Sikandar for labelling him as a thief but do it in person. As the two men meet, they dwell on the past 15 years and more revelations are made but does Jaswinder finally get a closure on the case? Is Sikandar truly innocent and if yes, who stole those diamonds on that fateful day?

<h2>What the film lacks</h2>

Heist films are more or less made on a similar framework. Where the thief outsmarts the investigator in most cases. While the audience knows who is the culprit, it is how the thief covers up his steps and bluffs the world that makes such films exciting and engaging. However, in the case of Sikandar Ka Muqaddar, the Tom-and Jerry-eseque chase soon loses the thrill element.&nbsp; 
 
There is just too much conversation and long-drawn scenes of Sikandar and his unending ordeal with life that take away the thrill from the heist film. You almost get impatient by the second half of the film, where despite the revelations and plot twists, the ordeals of the lead man never seem to end.&nbsp; 
 
Pandey indulges the viewers with long take shots where the camera pans around the characters walking fast and looking busy and pacing from one end of the room to the room. The one-take shots where the camera hovers over the shoulder of the character are usually used to show urgency and make it more immersive for the viewers. But in this film's case, they are repetitive and seem to lead to nothing consequential. It only creates urgency for the moment but ultimately ends on a whimper.&nbsp; 
 
I was fully involved when the heist was shown at the beginning of the film. Much like the cops, I was curious to figure out who the culprit was. But I lost interest during Sikandar and Jaswinder's reunion after 15 years, as the two men reflected on the years gone by while sharing a drink. It is an important portion of the story yet it totally sucks the life out of the heist drama as the maker indulges in too many flashbacks.

Pandey's previous heist film – Special 26 – was a sharp, smart movie that made people stay on the edge of their seats till the very end. Sikandar Ka Muqaddar, on the other hand, is far from being a thrilling watch. It is slow, and at some point, I feel Pandey doesn't know where to end the story so keeps adding more twists – some of which do not make sense.

Avinash Tiwary and Jimmy Shergill deliver earnest performances but have limited scope due to a half-hearted script. Tamannaah Bhatia delivers her part – although she has limited screen time. 
 
Sikandar Ka Muqaddar had the potential to be an engaging thriller but alas its director who also serves as the writer burdens it too much with unnecessary twists and drama.&nbsp; 
 
The film&nbsp;is streaming on Netflix.&nbsp;

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/sikandar-ka-muqaddar-actors-jimmy-shergill-avinash-tiwary-talk-about-neeraj-pandeys-latest-heist-movie-779891/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Neeraj Pandey is credited with some incredibly sharp films that have remained iconic for years after their release. Pandey has the knack for making quintessential Bollywood thrillers engaging with his screenplay, plot line and technical finesse.

Neeraj Pandey is credited with some incredibly sharp films that have remained iconic for years after their release. Pandey has the knack for making quintessential Bollywood thrillers engaging with his screenplay, plot line and technical finesse. Sure he has also had a few misfires but films like A Wednesday, Special 26, Baby, and MS Dhoni remain popular and relevant till now. His latest Sikandar Ka Muqaddar starts on a promising note and one almost finds Pandey's Midas touch to the narrative but somewhere through the course of 2 hours 23-minute-long film. Starring Avinash Tiwary and Jimmy Shergill, the film is a heist drama that shows potential in the beginning to be an engaging story but becomes an exhausting watch by the end of it. The plot of Sikandar Ka Muqaddar It is a battle of egos between two men that forms the crux of the story. Investigating Officer Jaswinder Singh (Shergill) never quite got over the fact that his instincts about Sikandar (Tiwary) were not right regarding a diamond robbery. Back in 2009, at a diamond convention, diamonds worth Rs 5 crore (Rs 500 million) were stolen. IO Jaswinder was deputed to solve the case in 24 hours because of his successful track record. He rounded up three suspects, two employees of the store (including Kamini Singh played by Tamannaah Bhatia) from where the theft had taken place and computer technician Sikandar. Despite multiple court hearings, lack of evidence, and the three denying involvement, Jaswinder never was convinced. 15 years later, as Sikandar and Kamini- now married- are living a comfortable life together, their past beckons. Having harboured resentment over his one wrong move for the past 15 years, Jaswinder now wants to apologise to Sikandar for labelling him as a thief but do it in person. As the two men meet, they dwell on the past 15 years and more revelations are made but does Jaswinder finally get a closure on the case? Is Sikandar truly innocent and if yes, who stole those diamonds on that fateful day? What the film lacks Heist films are more or less made on a similar framework. Where the thief outsmarts the investigator in most cases. While the audience knows who is the culprit, it is how the thief covers up his steps and bluffs the world that makes such films exciting and engaging. However, in the case of Sikandar Ka Muqaddar, the Tom-and Jerry-eseque chase soon loses the thrill element. There is just too much conversation and long-drawn scenes of Sikandar and his unending ordeal with life that take away the thrill from the heist film. You almost get impatient by the second half of the film, where despite the revelations and plot twists, the ordeals of the lead man never seem to end. Pandey indulges the viewers with long take shots where the camera pans around the characters walking fast and looking busy and pacing from one end of the room to the room. The one-take shots where the camera hovers over the shoulder of the character are usually used to show urgency and make it more immersive for the viewers. But in this film's case, they are repetitive and seem to lead to nothing consequential. It only creates urgency for the moment but ultimately ends on a whimper. I was fully involved when the heist was shown at the beginning of the film. Much like the cops, I was curious to figure out who the culprit was. But I lost interest during Sikandar and Jaswinder's reunion after 15 years, as the two men reflected on the years gone by while sharing a drink. It is an important portion of the story yet it totally sucks the life out of the heist drama as the maker indulges in too many flashbacks. Pandey's previous heist film – Special 26 – was a sharp, smart movie that made people stay on the edge of their seats till the very end. Sikandar Ka Muqaddar, on the other hand, is far from being a thrilling watch. It is slow, and at some point, I feel Pandey doesn't know where to end the story so keeps adding more twists – some of which do not make sense. Avinash Tiwary and Jimmy Shergill deliver earnest performances but have limited scope due to a half-hearted script. Tamannaah Bhatia delivers her part – although she has limited screen time. Sikandar Ka Muqaddar had the potential to be an engaging thriller but alas its director who also serves as the writer burdens it too much with unnecessary twists and drama. The film is streaming on Netflix.

Sikandar Ka Muqaddar review: Avinash Tiwary, Jimmy Shergill's film is not your usual heist thriller

Indian director Neeraj Pandey'' film, Sikandar Ka Muqaddar is out on Netflix. Did you know, that during the making of this movie, the director did not share parts of the script with his cast? In this exclusive conversation with WION's Samarpita Das, actors Jimmy Shergill and Avinash Tiwary share the reason behind the decision.

Sikandar Ka Muqaddar actors Jimmy Shergill, Avinash Tiwary talk about Neeraj Pandey's latest heist movie

Actor Manoj Bajpayee is set to return with the director Neeraj Pandey to present the highly anticipated second chapter in the ‘Secrets franchise’. On Monday, Discovery+ took to its official Twitter handle and unveiled the first look of its latest documentary series, ‘Secrets of the Kohinoor’ with Manoj Bajpayee, premiering on August 4th. Sharing the poster, they wrote, "Following the roaring success of ‘Secrets Of Sinauli: Discovery Of The Century’, the viewers were eagerly waiting for more."

The wait finally comes to an end as the successful duo of Director Neeraj Pandey and national award-winning actor Manoj Bajpayee reunite to enthral the audience with yet another riveting watch on Discovery+.

The docu-series - ‘Secrets Of The Kohinoor', through its sharp storytelling, deep research, and impressive creative treatment, will make for a documentary just as timeless as the famed diamond. Earlier, Pandey and Bajpayee have worked in films including ‘Special 26’ and ‘Aiyaary’.

Sharing his thoughts, director Neeraj Pandey in an interview said, "After the overwhelming success of ‘Secrets of Sinauli’, I am extremely delighted to collaborate with discovery+ and Manoj Bajpayee once more for the 'Secrets'&nbsp;franchise with ‘Secrets of the Kohinoor'."

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/bollywood/news-katrina-kaifs-obsessed-stalker-who-threatened-to-harm-vicky-kaushal-arrested-by-mumbai-police-500667">Katrina Kaif's obsessed stalker, who threatened to harm Vicky Kaushal, arrested by Mumbai Police</a>

Manoj’s extraordinary storytelling expertise makes him the most suitable choice to narrate the journey of the infamous Kohinoor that most of us have heard about but have never been able to call our own. I am certain that this historical ride will fascinate viewers across the globe".

The docu-series is produced by Bollywood director Neeraj Pandey’s Friday Storytellers and directed by Raghav Jairath. As the power-packed combination comes back together, the audience can only imagine the magic that they will create on screen! ‘Secrets Of The Kohinoor’ is slated to launch on 4th August only on the discovery+ streaming platform.&nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/bollywood/news-john-abraham-on-ranveer-singhs-viral-cover-nudes-scenes-were-edited-from-dostana-500578">John Abraham on Ranveer Singh's viral cover: Nude scenes were edited from 'Dostana'</a>

Actor Manoj Bajpayee is set to return with the director Neeraj Pandey to present the highly anticipated second chapter in the ‘Secrets franchise’. On Monday, Discovery+ took to its official Twitter handle and unveiled the first look of its latest documentary series, ‘Secrets of the Kohinoor’ with Manoj Bajpayee, premiering on August 4th.

Actor Manoj Bajpayee is set to return with the director Neeraj Pandey to present the highly anticipated second chapter in the ‘Secrets franchise’. On Monday, Discovery+ took to its official Twitter handle and unveiled the first look of its latest documentary series, ‘Secrets of the Kohinoor’ with Manoj Bajpayee, premiering on August 4th. Sharing the poster, they wrote, "Following the roaring success of ‘Secrets Of Sinauli: Discovery Of The Century’, the viewers were eagerly waiting for more." The wait finally comes to an end as the successful duo of Director Neeraj Pandey and national award-winning actor Manoj Bajpayee reunite to enthral the audience with yet another riveting watch on Discovery+. The docu-series - ‘Secrets Of The Kohinoor', through its sharp storytelling, deep research, and impressive creative treatment, will make for a documentary just as timeless as the famed diamond. Earlier, Pandey and Bajpayee have worked in films including ‘Special 26’ and ‘Aiyaary’. Sharing his thoughts, director Neeraj Pandey in an interview said, "After the overwhelming success of ‘Secrets of Sinauli’, I am extremely delighted to collaborate with discovery+ and Manoj Bajpayee once more for the 'Secrets' franchise with ‘Secrets of the Kohinoor'." Also Read: Katrina Kaif's obsessed stalker, who threatened to harm Vicky Kaushal, arrested by Mumbai Police Manoj’s extraordinary storytelling expertise makes him the most suitable choice to narrate the journey of the infamous Kohinoor that most of us have heard about but have never been able to call our own. I am certain that this historical ride will fascinate viewers across the globe". The docu-series is produced by Bollywood director Neeraj Pandey’s Friday Storytellers and directed by Raghav Jairath. As the power-packed combination comes back together, the audience can only imagine the magic that they will create on screen! ‘Secrets Of The Kohinoor’ is slated to launch on 4th August only on the discovery+ streaming platform. Also Read: John Abraham on Ranveer Singh's viral cover: Nude scenes were edited from 'Dostana'

Manoj Bajpayee to reunite with Neeraj Pandey for 'Secrets of the Kohinoor'

Every director more or less sticks to the same genre after he or she delivers a hit based on it. We associate stories of love and self-discovery to Imtiaz Ali, we associate Rajkumar Hirani to films that deliver social messages and similarly we associate Neeraj Pandey to films that speak about the angst of the common man who always is at the receiving end because of a corrupt system. Barring MS Dhoni, of course.&nbsp; 
 
Pandey&#39;s first, A Wednesday, spoke about how a common man can be pushed to his limits due to an ignorant system. His Special 26 was a quirky heist film which highlighted that slacked police force, his Baby and Naam Shabana (which he wrote and produced) were about special agents who would put their life at stake for the sake of the country. Aiyaary can perhaps be called an extension of that same story. A film where everyone is brisk walking to some destination or the other yet making the whole process look like an ordeal.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false"><img alt="" draggable="false" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/aiyaary2-20180216094335.jpg" />
<div class="media-description">
A still from Aiyaary. (Others)
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="javascript:void(0)" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

With a half-baked plot&nbsp;that establishes itself well into the second half, Aiyaary is about a special agent gone rogue. Major Jai Bakshi (Sidharth Malhotra) is basically disillusioned with the system and decides to sell top secrets of the army to an arms dealer. Jai is not doing this for the money or because he wants to seek revenge from the army but because he is just tired of how the corrupt are ruling the nation. His&nbsp;mentor, &nbsp;Colonel Abhay Singh (Manoj Bajpayee) hurt and angry at being deceived by his brightest student, then takes it upon himself to hunt Jai down- who has fleed the country with his girlfriend, Sonya, a hacker by profession (Rakul Preet Singh). &nbsp;The film also briefly touches upon the infamous Adarsh Housing Society Scam-perhaps the most comprehensive subplot in the entire film and makes a mish-mash story of a bright officer hell-bent on exposing the corruption in the country thereby putting his mentor, team maters and Army chief&#39;s position at stake.&nbsp; 
 
The film&#39;s narrative is non-linear. With multiple flashbacks- and flashbacks within flashbacks- the narrative appears too complicated to&nbsp;fully concentrate on. Pandey perhaps overestimates the viewer&#39;s intelligence and let them assume a lot of things for the longest time. The only thing that one knows in the first twenty odd minutes into the film is that the Army is looking for two of its missing officers. Pandey does not bother in putting a timeline in most scenes and often breaks into flashbacks making the entire film look haphazard. At the interval, there is suddenly a shot of Naseeruddin Shah sitting on a bed and laughing while watching television and you wonder if he is actually laughing at you for agreeing to sit through the ordeal for so long. Because Shah&#39;s inclusion in the film at that point is out of the blue.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false"><img alt="" draggable="false" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/aiyaary-20180216094256.JPG" />
<div class="media-description">
A still from Aiyaary. (Others)
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="javascript:void(0)" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

In fact, Shah&#39;s shot isn&#39;t the only illogical thing in the film. There are several more, in fact. There&#39;s a scene where Sidharth and Rakul&#39;s character meet for the first time, Rakul hacks into Sidharth&#39;s password protected laptop and buys herself things with his card details from a shopping portal. And the man just smiles at her and says &#39;Impressive&#39;. Only if it was that easy to impress suitors in real life!&nbsp;

Manoj Bajpayee tries hard to make the film and his character look real and convincing but an actor of his caliber deserves a properly written, coherent script which Aiyaary lacks. Malhotra is average in his role. Kumud Mishra, Adil Hussain, Anupam Kher are all wasted. Perhaps the brightest spark is Naseeruddin Shah, who gets the best scene in the film - but Shah comes in only the end and by then&nbsp;you may have gone into a deep slumber and you may miss the scene completely.

<iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KcWXKmnZZVo" width="560"></iframe> 
Aiyaary doesn&#39;t narrate a story that hasn&#39;t already been explored multiple times in Bollywood already. It&#39;s a half-baked, lazy attempt at making a thriller and it doesn&#39;t excite, thrill or entertain. 
 
Ratings: 1.5/5

&nbsp;

Even Manoj Bajpayee cannot save this film.

Every director more or less sticks to the same genre after he or she delivers a hit based on it. We associate stories of love and self-discovery to Imtiaz Ali, we associate Rajkumar Hirani to films that deliver social messages and similarly we associate Neeraj Pandey to films that speak about the angst of the common man who always is at the receiving end because of a corrupt system. Barring MS Dhoni, of course. Pandey's first, A Wednesday, spoke about how a common man can be pushed to his limits due to an ignorant system. His Special 26 was a quirky heist film which highlighted that slacked police force, his Baby and Naam Shabana (which he wrote and produced) were about special agents who would put their life at stake for the sake of the country. Aiyaary can perhaps be called an extension of that same story. A film where everyone is brisk walking to some destination or the other yet making the whole process look like an ordeal. A still from Aiyaary. (Others) × With a half-baked plot that establishes itself well into the second half, Aiyaary is about a special agent gone rogue. Major Jai Bakshi (Sidharth Malhotra) is basically disillusioned with the system and decides to sell top secrets of the army to an arms dealer. Jai is not doing this for the money or because he wants to seek revenge from the army but because he is just tired of how the corrupt are ruling the nation. His mentor, Colonel Abhay Singh (Manoj Bajpayee) hurt and angry at being deceived by his brightest student, then takes it upon himself to hunt Jai down- who has fleed the country with his girlfriend, Sonya, a hacker by profession (Rakul Preet Singh). The film also briefly touches upon the infamous Adarsh Housing Society Scam-perhaps the most comprehensive subplot in the entire film and makes a mish-mash story of a bright officer hell-bent on exposing the corruption in the country thereby putting his mentor, team maters and Army chief's position at stake. The film's narrative is non-linear. With multiple flashbacks- and flashbacks within flashbacks- the narrative appears too complicated to fully concentrate on. Pandey perhaps overestimates the viewer's intelligence and let them assume a lot of things for the longest time. The only thing that one knows in the first twenty odd minutes into the film is that the Army is looking for two of its missing officers. Pandey does not bother in putting a timeline in most scenes and often breaks into flashbacks making the entire film look haphazard. At the interval, there is suddenly a shot of Naseeruddin Shah sitting on a bed and laughing while watching television and you wonder if he is actually laughing at you for agreeing to sit through the ordeal for so long. Because Shah's inclusion in the film at that point is out of the blue. A still from Aiyaary. (Others) × In fact, Shah's shot isn't the only illogical thing in the film. There are several more, in fact. There's a scene where Sidharth and Rakul's character meet for the first time, Rakul hacks into Sidharth's password protected laptop and buys herself things with his card details from a shopping portal. And the man just smiles at her and says 'Impressive'. Only if it was that easy to impress suitors in real life! Manoj Bajpayee tries hard to make the film and his character look real and convincing but an actor of his caliber deserves a properly written, coherent script which Aiyaary lacks. Malhotra is average in his role. Kumud Mishra, Adil Hussain, Anupam Kher are all wasted. Perhaps the brightest spark is Naseeruddin Shah, who gets the best scene in the film - but Shah comes in only the end and by then you may have gone into a deep slumber and you may miss the scene completely. Aiyaary doesn't narrate a story that hasn't already been explored multiple times in Bollywood already. It's a half-baked, lazy attempt at making a thriller and it doesn't excite, thrill or entertain. Ratings: 1.5/5

Aiyaary review: A half-baked, lazy attempt at making a thriller

A very few people know that Neeraj Pandey did not intend to name his 2015 hit-movie as `Baby,` but the initial title given to that movie was `Aiyaary` which is now getting released on February 9.The film which is an espionage thriller was initially titled `Aiyaary` but was later changed to Baby, which refers to a covet operation in the film. 
 
Neeraj Pandey will return to direction two years after his last directorial `M.S. Dhoni` with `Aiyaary`. 
 
One of `Aiyaary`s leading men, Manoj Bajpayee, who has frequently collaborated with Neeraj, said that it is always a remarkable experience working with Neeraj.The actor noted, &quot;It`s always a remarkable experience to be working with Neeraj Pandey and also its a privilege to sit with him on many occasions and sharing ideas and experiences. My best wishes to the entire Baby Team for completing 3 years from the release. It was an amazing film, I enjoyed watching it, I actually watched it in Bareilly, when I was shooting for Aligarh. There was this Multiplex where this film was released, I made it sure that I go there and watch the first show, I immediately called Mr. Neeraj Pandey and congratulated him for making such a fast-paced thriller. It was quite an eye-opener about how our intelligence agencies work for this country.&quot; 
 
The ace filmmaker won the hearts of the audience with his appealing films that have a realistic touch like `A Wednesday`, `Special 26`, M.S. Dhoni` etc. The audience is keen on witnessing yet another film by the filmmaker.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

A very few people know that Neeraj Pandey did not intend to name his 2015 hit-movie as Baby.

A very few people know that Neeraj Pandey did not intend to name his 2015 hit-movie as `Baby,` but the initial title given to that movie was `Aiyaary` which is now getting released on February 9.The film which is an espionage thriller was initially titled `Aiyaary` but was later changed to Baby, which refers to a covet operation in the film. Neeraj Pandey will return to direction two years after his last directorial `M.S. Dhoni` with `Aiyaary`. One of `Aiyaary`s leading men, Manoj Bajpayee, who has frequently collaborated with Neeraj, said that it is always a remarkable experience working with Neeraj.The actor noted, "It`s always a remarkable experience to be working with Neeraj Pandey and also its a privilege to sit with him on many occasions and sharing ideas and experiences. My best wishes to the entire Baby Team for completing 3 years from the release. It was an amazing film, I enjoyed watching it, I actually watched it in Bareilly, when I was shooting for Aligarh. There was this Multiplex where this film was released, I made it sure that I go there and watch the first show, I immediately called Mr. Neeraj Pandey and congratulated him for making such a fast-paced thriller. It was quite an eye-opener about how our intelligence agencies work for this country." The ace filmmaker won the hearts of the audience with his appealing films that have a realistic touch like `A Wednesday`, `Special 26`, M.S. Dhoni` etc. The audience is keen on witnessing yet another film by the filmmaker.

Did you know? Neeraj Pandey had initially titled 'Baby' as 'Aiyyaari'

Manoj Bajpayee has an enviable body of work but the actor still yearns to do good roles as he believes filmmakers in Bollywood are yet to fully tap his potential as a performer. 
 
Bajpayee is happy that independent cinema actors like him are getting appreciation from both the film industry and the audience. 
 
&quot;... I feel I need to be used for difficult and challenging roles more often. I am not used to the fullest of my ability. So to use myself as an actor, I need to work with new and good directors,&quot; he told PTI in an interview. 
 
&quot;Instead of me looking for a director, they should look for me, which is not happening frequently. If the experienced directors are not looking at me as an actor, then I have to look for new directors. I have made an effort to find good directors. I want roles to find me and that has to happen frequently.&quot; 
 
Actors such as Irrfan Khan, Rajkummar Rao and Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Bajpayee have increasingly become popular in mainstream cinema but Bajpayee believes star system will always be there. 
 
&quot;Those mainstream stars will always be there. But the strive is to co-exist and that is happening, it is becoming stronger and stronger and these (independent) films are slowly and slowly consolidating their place in the industry, which was completely absent earlier. 
 
&quot;There used to be so much resistance to these films and actors but today they are respected. And this year even at the mainstream award ceremonies independent cinema actors won awards.&quot; 
 
He hopes this change keeps on growing so that there is a healthy existence of both kind of cinemas in the industry. 
 
&quot;Earlier more of commercial cinema was being made, now you have independent cinema. Today all kind of actors are doing well, from Shah Rukh Khan to Salman Khan to Akshay Kumar and Irrfan, Nawazuddin, Rajkummar or Adil Hussain.&quot;&nbsp;Bajpayee believes his Aks&nbsp;co-star and megastar Amitabh Bachchan is the last actor to witness a huge fan following. 
 
&quot;...That kind of mass hysteria was there for him then and even now across all age groups. Earlier there was a certain kind of mystery about the stars and he was the last one to see it. 
 
&quot;So that kind of privacy is gone, with Shah Rukh Khan it all went away as he had opened up himself to everybody. Today stars and actors are available anywhere and everywhere, be it at a mall or store launch or on TV shows. The mystery about a star is no longer there.&quot; 
 
Bajpayee is currently awaiting the release of his next film Aiyaary, which will be out in theatres on February 16.

Bajpayee is happy that independent cinema actors like him are getting appreciation from both the film industry and the audience.

Manoj Bajpayee has an enviable body of work but the actor still yearns to do good roles as he believes filmmakers in Bollywood are yet to fully tap his potential as a performer. Bajpayee is happy that independent cinema actors like him are getting appreciation from both the film industry and the audience. "... I feel I need to be used for difficult and challenging roles more often. I am not used to the fullest of my ability. So to use myself as an actor, I need to work with new and good directors," he told PTI in an interview. "Instead of me looking for a director, they should look for me, which is not happening frequently. If the experienced directors are not looking at me as an actor, then I have to look for new directors. I have made an effort to find good directors. I want roles to find me and that has to happen frequently." Actors such as Irrfan Khan, Rajkummar Rao and Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Bajpayee have increasingly become popular in mainstream cinema but Bajpayee believes star system will always be there. "Those mainstream stars will always be there. But the strive is to co-exist and that is happening, it is becoming stronger and stronger and these (independent) films are slowly and slowly consolidating their place in the industry, which was completely absent earlier. "There used to be so much resistance to these films and actors but today they are respected. And this year even at the mainstream award ceremonies independent cinema actors won awards." He hopes this change keeps on growing so that there is a healthy existence of both kind of cinemas in the industry. "Earlier more of commercial cinema was being made, now you have independent cinema. Today all kind of actors are doing well, from Shah Rukh Khan to Salman Khan to Akshay Kumar and Irrfan, Nawazuddin, Rajkummar or Adil Hussain." Bajpayee believes his Aks co-star and megastar Amitabh Bachchan is the last actor to witness a huge fan following. "...That kind of mass hysteria was there for him then and even now across all age groups. Earlier there was a certain kind of mystery about the stars and he was the last one to see it. "So that kind of privacy is gone, with Shah Rukh Khan it all went away as he had opened up himself to everybody. Today stars and actors are available anywhere and everywhere, be it at a mall or store launch or on TV shows. The mystery about a star is no longer there." Bajpayee is currently awaiting the release of his next film Aiyaary, which will be out in theatres on February 16.

Manoj Bajpayee: I need to be used more for difficult, challenging roles

neeraj-pandey-0

Neeraj Pandey, News on Neeraj Pandey, stories on Neeraj Pandey, articles on Neeraj Pandey, Neeraj Pandey stories at Wion, Neeraj Pandey news, Neeraj Pandey latest news