Manoj Bajpayee has spoken about the time when the controversy around his latest Netflix film became personal and his family was targeted online. The actor felt helpless when people began sharing pictures of his family members and posted threatening messages.
The film, now titled Gajab Raat, was first announced in February under the name Ghooskhor Pandat. The original title faced criticism and several groups called it offensive. The makers later changed the title, but Bajpayee said he did not expect the issue to grow so much.
What left him upset was not the criticism, but the way strangers brought his family into the matter. He said many of the posts came from “bots and headless, faceless people,” which made it difficult to know who was behind them.
Speaking with PTI, Manoj Bajpayee said, “You go ahead and assault me with the worst thing, I’ll take it because I’m an actor. I’ve had a journey from rejection to everything (where) you are called all sorts of things. So you are thick-skinned. At the end of the day, I feel bad for all those people, who are either very ignorant or have less knowledge about life. What really concerned me and offended me to no bits is when they started publishing the photo(s) of my family and saying things.”
“I am a person who is very easy (going) in life, I like to be happy and have fun all the time. But at the same time, when there is an urgency to save my near and dear ones, I’m very confrontational. But who could I confront because there are nameless people out there,” he added.
Manoj Bajpayee said the team looked at five or six names before choosing the film’s original title. They believed it was perfect for the story and its main character, but they never expected to create such a big controversy.
He felt people were criticising the title without knowing what the film was about. The issue also led to threats against him and his family. Despite the threats, Manoj continued to move around freely. In some places, local officials advised him not to step outside, but he did not let fear stop him.
Directed by Ritesh Shah, Gajab Raat also stars Nushrratt Bharuccha, Saqib Saleem, Akshay Oberoi, Divya Dutta, Kiku Sharda and Shraddha Das.
Also Read: Manoj Bajpayee Opens Up About Bollywood’s Dark Side, Says They “Ruined Talent”
