Bollywood versatile star Manoj Bajpayee recently looked back at his long-standing association with filmmaker Devashish Makhija and shared insights into the journey behind some of their most discussed projects. During the promotional campaign for his upcoming film ‘Governor’, the actor opened up about the making of Bhonsle, Tandav and Joram. He spoke about the challenges they faced and the circumstances that shaped these films over time. During his interaction with IANS, Manoj explained that several things happened gradually and not every project moved smoothly from the beginning. He revealed that earlier plans between him and the filmmaker faced multiple difficulties before eventually taking shape.
Funding difficulties delayed early plans
Speaking about the initial stages of their collaboration, Manoj recalled that another project had originally been planned before Tandav entered the picture. However, financial support became a major challenge and slowed down the process. Sharing details, he said, “Devashish Makhija made his foray into the cinema Before that, I don’t think they were on a cinema camera. He made ‘Tandav’ with me. It became very successful on YouTube. And it has gotten so many international laurels. Before ‘Tandav’, we were supposed to do another film, Devashish Makhija wrote it. However, we didn’t get funding for it. I was busy arranging the funds because Devashish Makhija is not somebody who is resourceful. I was the one who was already popular, and working in the industry”.
How ‘Tandav’ changed the situation
Manoj further explained that while Bhonsle continued to face delays, he and Makhija decided to focus on a shorter project. That decision later proved important for their journey. He added, “But still, I was finally able to get funds for ‘Bhonsle’. It took time for him to make it. So, I told him, let’s make a short film. He said, give me two days. After two days, he came with the script for ‘Tandav’. And then we started moving. We had 30-35 lacs. So we made a film. When we started making money, that’s when ‘Bhonsle’ was made.”
‘Joram’ became one of his toughest experiences
Manoj also reflected on Joram and explained how deeply the role affected him as an actor. According to him, the film demanded complete involvement and pushed him mentally and emotionally. He said, “Until ‘Bhonsle’ was made, he told me a story about ‘Joram’. We did Joram later. Shahrukh Patel was the CEO of Zee Studios. I told him about it. He said, ‘We are ready to do the film’. It’s one of my best performances. Yes, it has troubled me. It has tested me. I have lost my feet. The amount of shooting I had, It was so immersive. But I am so proud of that performance”.
Upcoming release for Manoj Bajpayee
Bhonsle later earned Manoj Bajpayee the National Award for Best Performance by an Actor. Meanwhile, the actor is preparing for the release of ‘Governor’, directed by Chinmay Mandlekar, which is scheduled to arrive in theatres on June 12, 2026. His previous release was the psychological thriller ‘The Fable’.
