Dr Siras would feel vindicated: Manoj Bajpayee

Asserts Manoj Bajpayee who has lived the gay professor's ordeal on screen; is miffed that censors have already cut the reach of his film.

Manoj Bajpayee is delighted with the compliments coming his way a day after the release of the first trailer of Aligarh which he describes "as the bravest film any actor could have done in this country". But he's miffed that the trailer has been given an 'A' certificate and can only be played with an 'adult' film and on TV late at night, limiting its reach. This even though the subject of homosexuality has only been alluded to in dialogue and not conveyed through sexually explicit or objectionable visuals.

Manoj believes that our parents, teachers and elders are our only censors, beyond them no one has the right to tell us what to watch. "The word 'censor' should be deleted from the Central Board of Film Certification. It negates the concept of democracy. How can seven people with different biases decide to give Aligarh an 'A' and pass trailers of sex comedies with a 'U' or 'U/A'? Diktats change with every film, it's time to let go of censorship and move to certification," he reasons.

On his part, this was a film he had to do as soon as he heard the story. He recalls director Hansal Mehta suggesting he go through the script first. "I told him that if I didn't like anything we could correct it, but Dr Shrinivas Ramchandra Siras turned out to be a man who seemed familiar, I had to put him on screen," he reflects.

It wasn't easy playing a gay professor having always been the heterosexual Alpha male. "On camera, I'm in character, but after the shot, I'd be uncomfortable. Noticing this, the DoP Satya (Satya Rai Nagpaul) pointed out that for me it was just a few moments of discomfort but closet gays are forced to live a lifelong lie. His poignant words put everything into perspective for me," says Manoj.

The National Award-winning actor is all praise for the editorstory writer Apurva Asrani who is open about his sexual orientation and has put a lot of himself into the script. "I've known Apu since he was a boy editing Satya. I recall being at his house once, just the two of us, and him suddenly blurting out that he was gay. He'd expected me to be shocked, my 'Ok, so what?' response took him by surprise.

Today, I'm filled with admiration for Apu, he's scared of none. After watching Aligarh, I told him to think of an equally compelling role for me and direct the film," he reveals.

Dr Siras, a 64-year-old professor, was sacked from his position of Reader and Chair of Modern Indian Languages at the Aligarh Muslim University on charges of homosexuality after a sting operation by a channel which showed him embracing a rickshaw puller in his house inside the campus. Manoj believes he'd be happy Hansal Mehta and some creative people supported his struggle. "Dr Siras would feel vindicated, like that I've played him with dignity," he muses.

He points out that except for around six films which he did to buy a house in the city and keep the kitchen fires burning, he has always sketched out his characters completely. "Whether it was Satya, Aks, Pinjar or Aligarh, everything, from the characters looks to their speech and behaviour patterns, was fleshed out. "What made Siras difficult was the loneliness in his eyes. How do you portray loneliness?" he wonders, describing this quiet professor who enjoyed Lata Mangeshkar's songs, whiskey in the evening and some time alone with his lover. "Siras was a man filled with love, with no grudge against society, only wanting to be left alone. This is the only time in my career when a character I have played has improved me as a person. He's taken away all the negativity and made me realise that no matter what, life is beautiful."

But will homophobic fans accept him in this new avatar? Manoj admits that some of them 'unfollowed' him on Twitter after learning that he was playing a gay character. "But a few have followed me back after seeing the trailer," he laughs. "These things happen. When I decided to become an actor, the society I was living in, disowned me."

Will the film be allowed to open and enjoy a controversy-free run? "There is nothing for anyone to protest as will be evident once they see the film. To ensure that everyone does, the Supreme Court, along with the Centre and state governments, should come down heavily on any protestors. Otherwise it will be difficult for us to express ourselves creatively," he signs off.