Manoj Bajpayee believes filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma has rediscovered the creative brilliance that made him one of Indian cinema’s most influential directors. In a recent interview, Bajpayee opened up about reuniting with his longtime collaborator for the upcoming horror comedy ‘Police Station Mein Bhoot’, describing the project as a “wild film” and confidently declaring that “Ram Gopal Varma is back.“The film marks the duo’s first collaboration in nearly a decade after ‘Sarkar 3’ and has already generated excitement among fans eager to see the ‘Satya‘ team reunite.
Manoj Bajpayee on how ‘Ram Gopal Varma is back’
Speaking to SCREEN, Bajpayee expressed complete confidence in Varma’s latest directorial venture, “It’s a wild film! He’s back, I can tell you that. Ram Gopal Varma is back with Police Station Mein Bhoot. There’s no doubt about it.”The actor stressed that his praise wasn’t motivated by promotional obligations.“And I’m not saying it because I’m a part of the film and have to sell the film. Ramu alone is capable of selling his film. He doesn’t need Manoj Bajpayee for that,” Bajpayee said with a laugh.Reflecting on Varma’s filmmaking process, Bajpayee said he noticed a familiar creative energy that reminded him of the director’s most celebrated years, “But what I’ve realized is that Ramu, the kid, is back. He used to be that kid in a candy store when he made all those great films. I don’t know how that happened. Only he’ll be in a position to tell you.”The actor suggested that the filmmaker’s enthusiasm and spontaneity on set brought back memories of their earlier collaborations that helped shape Bajpayee’s career.
Ram Gopal Varma asked Manoj Bajpayee not to prepare
Bajpayee also shared an interesting anecdote about preparing for his role as a police officer in ‘Police Station Mein Bhoot.’ According to the actor, Varma surprised him with an unusual request before filming began.Bajpayee said, “He knew I was going to go back to my house and start preparing. He told me, ‘Manoj, just do me a favour. Don’t prepare for this film. Just keep in your mind he’s a police guy. Because I’ll be changing a lot of things.'”Bajpayee described filming as both exhilarating and demanding because Varma frequently changed scenes and dialogues at the last moment.Bajpayee explained, “I’d get my scenes right before the shot. Then I’d just be finding time, getting a quiet corner on a very noisy set, memorizing and rewriting those lines, sitting with the co-actors to make it really work. So, he was throwing so many things at me, which kept me on my toes.”
Ram Gopal Varma and Manoj Bajpayee’s collaboration
Bajpayee and Varma’s association goes back to the 1997 adventure comedy Daud, but it was Varma’s 1998 crime drama ‘Satya’ that changed the trajectory of Bajpayee’s career, with his portrayal of gangster Bhiku Mhatre becoming one of Hindi cinema’s most iconic performances. The duo went on to collaborate on the 1999 psychological thriller Kaun, followed by Varma-backed productions ‘Shool’ (1999) and Road (2002). Their last collaboration was Varma’s 2017 political drama ‘Sarkar 3.’In the years since, Bajpayee built a strong presence on streaming, most notably with Raj & DK’s ‘The Family Man’ and the recently release, ‘Governor’.
About ‘Police Station Mein Bhoot’
‘Police Station Mein Bhoot’ is an upcoming horror comedy directed by Ram Gopal Varma. The film stars Manoj Bajpayee in the lead alongside Genelia D’Souza and Ramya Krishnan. While plot details remain under wraps, the film promises to blend supernatural elements with comedy, marking Varma’s return to a genre he has explored successfully in the past with a fresh twist.
