EXCLUSIVE: “People are going to LOVE Manoj Bajpayee in Governor like NEVER before,” says Vipul Shah; adds, “Kabhi film acchi hogi, kabhi film buri hogi. Lekin unka performance hamesha achha hi hota hai”

Vipul Shah is having a busy week as his film Governor, starring Manoj Bajpayee, is up for release on June 12. Amid his hectic schedule, the veteran producer took out time to speak exclusively with Bollywood Hungama about the film and a lot more. The conversation took place on June 8, which also happened to be his birthday.

Happy Birthday to you! What are your birthday plans?
(Smiles). Thank you! The plan is to be in my office and working towards the release of Governor (smiles). A lot of work is pending. So, the birthday is dedicated to work.

This is the second time you’re having a release around your birthday. The last time it happened was during Holiday – A Soldier Is Never Off Duty (2014)…
Yes, that’s correct. And I do plan to celebrate in the evening. But it’ll be a brief celebration as tomorrow early morning, I need to go back on work. So, I hope to balance both work and fun.

This must be a very peaceful release for you after Commando 2 (2019). The Kerala Story (2023) and Bastar – The Naxal Story (2024) were criticized by a section of the people for their political themes. The Kerala Story 2: Goes Beyond (2026) even had a delayed release…
Governor is a very important film that needed to be made. I made it without thinking ki controversy hogi ki nahin hogi. I went ahead and made the film and I am very happy to see the way people are receiving its trailer and other units. It’s always heartening to see that your content is getting a good response. The same happened with The Kerala Story. If those films had a hundred thousand haters, there were crores of lovers as well. Hence, there was no issue even then.

You are one of the writers. Did you know about the incident on which Governor is based or did someone inform you?
To be honest, someone told me about this episode and my immediate reaction was, ‘What are you saying? I had no idea about this’. We all knew that India’s gold had been hedged, but I didn’t know that it happened against the backdrop of such a massive fight and crisis that the country went through. That aspect was completely new to me. Hence, I immediately decided that this film had to be made. I realized that it was an inspiring story that deserved to be told. For us, the biggest challenge was to write it in a way that every person watching the film could understand the proceedings. Even if you don’t understand economics, it won’t matter. At its core, Governor is a story of human courage and the extent to which one man goes to save his country. The film also shows how the entire team at the RBI (Reserve Bank of India) worked tirelessly to pull India out of a huge crisis. It’s an emotional tale, but it also has humour.

So, the challenge was to write it in such a way that it’s simple and yet captivating. We feel that we have achieved it. But we’ll get to know for sure only on Friday.

I guess the use of monkey is done to simplify the proceedings…
Yes, so that the audience could understand the crisis. Once they understand, it’s easy to get involved emotionally in the film.

Was Manoj Bajpayee the first choice?
He was always the first choice. I met him 4 years back with this film. It was our first meeting for Governor and he just loved the plot. He told me to inform him once the script is ready. Once he came on board, he took around a month to get into the character, ace the dialect and understand the situation India was in then. He worked very, very hard to make sure that his performance was bang on.

He’s one of the most dynamic actors in the country. Every character he plays is drastically different from the others. There’s absolutely no similarity between his performance in Satya (1998) and his act in Gangs Of Wasseypur (2012). Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai (2023) was in a completely different zone, and so was Shool (1999). The Family Man, on the other hand, belongs to an altogether different space. That’s the beauty of Manoj Bajpayee. He completely becomes the person he is playing, and that was exactly the requirement for Governor. He has done a fabulous job, and people are going to love him like never before. One of the biggest reasons to watch Governor is to witness how beautifully Manoj has performed.

Did Manoj Bajpayee talk about his memories of working with your wife, Shefali Shah, in Satya?
I have known Manoj for a long time and we have discussed Satya and many other things over the years. We are theatre guys. Theatre ke logon mein ek bonding hoti hi hai. We were both at the beginning of our careers and used to hang out often. I have seen him from the time when it was extremely difficult for him to break into the industry to the stature he enjoys today. His journey has been truly remarkable. He has never let his craft fail. Whatever role he has taken, he has always done an amazing job. Kabhi film acchi hogi, kabhi film buri hogi. Lekin unka performance hamesha achha hi hota hai.

What is the screen count for Governor?
That would be decided by Wednesday, but we won’t go for a very wide release. It should ideally be a 750-screen release.

Also Read: Governor: Manoj Bajpayee reveals his favourite scene from the film; says, “The biggest lessons come from home”

The post EXCLUSIVE: “People are going to LOVE Manoj Bajpayee in Governor like NEVER before,” says Vipul Shah; adds, “Kabhi film acchi hogi, kabhi film buri hogi. Lekin unka performance hamesha achha hi hota hai” appeared first on Bollywood Hungama.

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