MUMBAI, June 2: Actor Manoj Bajpayee says his upcoming film “Governor” highlights the behind-the-scenes efforts of people, who helped the country sail through extreme financial hardship over three-decades ago.
Based on true events, the film dives deep into the financial turmoil that shook India during the 1990s economic collapse, and features Bajpayee in the role of an RBI governor, a role inspired by former RBI governor S Venkitaramanan.
Directed by Chinmay Mandlekar of “Inspector Zende”, the film also features Adah Sharma and Madhoo.
Recalling the 1991 economic crisis that hit India, Bajpayee said he was a theatre actor in Delhi at the time and closely followed developments through newspapers.
“I was always a news junkie. So, I know for a fact that it happened. But I don’t have any knowledge of what went on behind the closed doors, and who were the people responsible for getting India out of that crisis,” the actor told PTI in an interview.
“The Family Man” star said as a struggling theatre artist, he was living completely broke at the time and would often worry about his next meal.
“A poor person’s life goes on but it is obvious that when the value of a rupee decreases, everyone has to bear the burden. Even at that time, the situation was like that. But that decision gave India great relief. After that, it was a warning for India, which helped India think about its market in a new way.”
The actor highlighted the contribution of key figures such as former RBI governor S. Venkitaramanan, economist Manmohan Singh and then Prime Minister Chandra Shekhar in navigating the financial crisis amid political instability.
“Nobody knows about the contribution of these people at that time, and that is where a filmmaker or a screenwriter comes in to take those incidents, make them cinematic and dramatic, take them to the people, and find some drama there,” he said.
Known for his intense preparation for playing a character, Bajpayee said for his role as an RBI governor, he relied primarily on observation, imagination and personal interactions with bureaucrats.
The actor, who has played real-life characters in films like “Inspector Zende”, “Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai”, and “Aligarh”, said he reached out to his old Delhi University roommates-many of whom had studied for the UPSC exams and were now working as top civil servants-to understand how government officials think and operate.
He described officers in finance and economics as “quiet, reserved and occupied with numbers”.
“Their life (as RBI governor) is very different from all the other IAS and IPS officers, it is not that interesting. They are only busy with the files, the data and the numbers and we are talking about a time when computers were not in vogue. So, everything was on files and paper.”
When asked if the film takes any side, Bajpayee said they have remained as authentic as possible.
“…You will see all those main people of that time coming on the screen and expressing their opinion about it, and everything is there on paper, on record. So, when you go deep into your Google research, you’ll find those incidents, you find the dimension of those personalities and their reservations and their cooperation also in supporting the RBI governor, S. Venkitaramanan,” he said.
Regarding the crisis, and particularly the current slowdown in Hindi cinema, the actor voiced concern over the film industry’s growing fixation with box office performance.
“The day we stop worrying about the box office numbers and start worrying about the subject matter we are making, cinema will improve. People from all sectors will show interest in coming to theatres. If you are showing only one kind of film, then the footfalls will get affected,” Bajpayee said, adding, that the box-office numbers are often manipulated to project false success.
“If the film is engaging, it shows in the excitement of the audience and that is not a lie, it reaches everyone. Manipulating the opinion of the people, manipulating the numbers, these are all the points or elements that will only make this industry or cinema of our country suffer a lot,” the actor said.
Produced by Vipul Amrutlal Shah, the film is co-produced by Aashin A. Shah, the movie is set for release on June 12. (PTI)
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