In just 10 sentences, actor Manoj Bajpayee won the National Award

- It took four years for Manoj to release the National Award winning film 'Bhonsle'. The film was released after a long struggle. Until then he stood in support of the film

Two people were the center of attraction at the recent National Film Awards in New Delhi. One was Southern superstar Rajinikanth and the other was Bollywood actor Manoj Bajpayee. In the ceremony, Vice President M. Rajinikanth was given the Dadasaheb Phalke Award by Venkaiah Naidu and Bajpayee was given the Best Actor award for 'Bhonsle'. Very few people will know that Manoj Bajpayee has received this third National Award. He has previously won the National Award for Best Supporting Actor for 'Satya' and the Special Jury Award for 'Pinjar'.

How did Bajpayee feel when he took the first two national awards? The actor says in the past, 'That was 3 years ago. I was very young when I received the award for truth. So it is only natural that there should be enthusiasm for receiving the award. Many at the awards function might have laughed at my enthusiasm, but it was a big occasion for me because I already wanted to receive the award once in a lifetime. When I received the jury award for the cage, I was more than satisfied. It just so happened that justice was done to me. There was a reason for that. Despite Pinjar getting a lot of my reviews in the media, let alone my performance, the film did not even get a nomination in any mainstream award. Any artist regrets when this happens. '

It was very difficult to portray the character of 'Bhonsle' who gave the National Award for Best Actor to Bajpayee on screen. The actor, who has done justice to many challenging roles in his career, admits it himself. What was it about that character that made an actor like Manoj feel so tough? The versatile actor explains, "Bhonsle hardly says anything in the film. Sir, you may not believe it but I had to say only 10 lines in the whole film. He said it all through his gaze, gestures and subtle expressions on his face. One thing I understood from reading the script was that I had to build a deep personal relationship with this character, learn about it in detail and then keep it with me at every moment without looking at the camera. Bhonsle director Devashish Makhija has also taken shots with the same vision. The camera captures Bhonsle's fingers and every movement of his body from the twinkling of an eye. '

Surprisingly, it took Manoj four years to release the National Award winning film 'Bhonsle'. The film was released after a long struggle. The actor stood in support of the film for so long. That is why he must have felt special when the award was announced. Talking about it, Vajpayee says, "Sir, when Bhonsle received the first Asia Pacific Screen Award and then the National Award, I felt that the poet had done me justice. Such unique films should be supported with full vigor and enthusiasm. You can't sit in a corner making such a film. Such films should reach the audience and should be enjoyed and applauded by all. Critics alone cannot praise. ' Recently, Manoj Bajpayee has lost his umbrella. He must have missed his father while receiving the National Award in Delhi. The actor's face becomes serious as he mentions his father, 'Sir, I believe in spiritual development as a person. So I think Dad is a better place to be wherever he is. Of course, I miss him as a son. My father has seen my progress during his lifetime and is proud of the fact that he kept every trophy I won and celebrated my every achievement. When I received my first Filmfare Award, I invited him to Mumbai to attend the function. They came with me to many award functions, but when I got another national award for the cage, they were very happy to attend the ceremony held at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi. We are the people of the original village. Naturally for us, such a grand ceremony with the presence of VVIPO is of great importance. '

Now one more personal question: Does Bajpayee's beloved daughter Ava Nayla know that her father is a three National Award winning actor? With a big laugh, the actor says, 'Sir, it is too small to understand the importance of any award. At the moment I am shooting for Abhishek Chaubey's film in Kerala. I make video calls from my mobile. Whenever I talk to my daughter, the only question is, Daddy, when will you come home? '