Actor Manoj Bajpayee is accustomed to criticism as a public figure, but the controversy over the original title of his Netflix film Gajab Raat took a disturbing turn when people began targeting his family online, he said in a recent interview.
The actor said the threats and the circulation of his family members’ photographs left him worried about their safety.
The film was announced in February this year under the title Ghooskhor Pandat, prompting a backlash on social media. Several users, politicians and organisations criticised the title as casteist and offensive, following which the makers renamed the film Gajab Raat.
In an interview with PTI, Bajpayee said the team had not anticipated the scale of the controversy. While he has learnt to deal with personal attacks over the course of his career, he said the harassment directed at his family was difficult to accept.
“You go ahead and assault me with the worst thing, I'll take it because I'm an actor. I've had a journey from rejection to everything (where) you are called all sorts of things. So you are thick-skinned,” the actor said.
He added that what upset him most was seeing photographs of his family being circulated alongside abusive remarks. Bajpayee is married to actor Shabana Raza, known for Kareeb, and they have a daughter.
The actor said many of the posts appeared to come from bots and anonymous social media accounts. Describing himself as someone who generally prefers to enjoy life and avoid confrontation, he said he becomes fiercely protective when his loved ones are involved.
“I am a person who is very easy (going) in life, I like to be happy and have fun all the time. But at the same time, when there is an urgency to save my near and dear ones, I'm very confrontational... But who could I confront because there are nameless people out there,” he said.
Bajpayee said the filmmakers had considered five or six possible titles before choosing the original one, believing it reflected the story and its central character. The team, he added, did not foresee the reaction it would provoke.
He claimed that the backlash came from people who had little or no knowledge of the film itself, with many focusing solely on its title. The controversy, he said, escalated to threats against him and his family.
“There was a threat to my life, to my family... All sorts of things were happening but I was moving freely,” he said, recalling that local authorities sometimes advised him against venturing out in smaller towns and areas.
Directed by Ritesh Shah and produced by Neeraj Pandey's Friday Storytellers, Gajab Raat follows Ajay Nirvet, a police officer whose compassionate act towards an injured woman draws him into a high-level conspiracy and a deadly chain of events unfolding over a single night.
Bajpayee has previously played police officers in films such as Shool, Dial 100 and Inspector Zende. The actor said his interactions with real-life police personnel have helped him develop a deeper understanding of the profession.
“I love to hear them, I love to sit with them, hear their stories, all the cases, etc. So, all the police stations which are close to my house, I keep going there just to have tea with them, to know how things function, the nature of the crimes that happen. I do it for my knowledge,” he said.
He also criticised the tendency of Hindi cinema to portray police officers as either extraordinary heroes or characters defined by negative traits, arguing that such depictions often overlook the complexities of their work.
“The moment you start treating them as characters with human flesh and blood, you are bound to understand their life. It is a very challenging and demanding profession,” Bajpayee said. He also pointed to the demands placed on the police force, given India's population of around 1.4 billion.
Bajpayee's co-star Divya Dutta spoke about their long association, which includes films such as LOC: Kargil, Veer-Zaara, Special 26 and Traffic. She said they had finally had the opportunity to share scenes in Last Man in Tower and Gajab Raat.
“There is brilliance here, which you unfurl every time you work with him in a different role. I think we are fortunate,” Dutta said. She also named Satya, Aligarh and Last Man in Tower among her favourite films featuring Bajpayee.
Gajab Raat also stars Saqib Saleem, Shraddha Das, Akshay Oberoi, Kiku Sharda and Nushrratt Bharuccha in key roles.