Manoj Bajpayee on Acting, Aligarh, OTT and Poetry | Rekhta Guftgu

In this Guftgu episode, Manoj Bajpayee speaks with unusual honesty about cinema, craft, and the kind of inner life that keeps an actor growing.

He reflects on how the pandemic changed theatres, streaming, and the way people now live with stories, fear, and habit.

He believes cinema will return, but not in the old way, and makes a strong case for theatres and OTT existing side by side.

The conversation then moves into acting in a way listeners rarely get to hear. Manoj breaks down his preparation for Aligarh, from Marathi literature and music choices to gait, backstory, and the tiny behavioral details that make a performance feel lived rather than performed.

He also speaks about Barry John, realism, simple living, and why craft matters more than image.

The episode closes on poetry, with powerful readings from Dinkar and Dharamvir Bharati’s Andha Yug, revealing how literature, rhythm, and voice shape the actor behind the screen.