National Award-winning actor Manoj Bajpayee, who is preparing for the release of his upcoming film 'Governor', has revealed that his titular role was quite demanding given his lack of an economics background and limited mathematical skills. The film is based on former Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor S. Venkitaramanan, whose actions mitigated the impact of massive economic changes following the enforcement of the New Economic Policy in 1991.
Manoj Bajpayee on the Unprecedented Script
During the film's promotions, the actor spoke with IANS and shared that he was drawn to the script because a story centered on an RBI Governor was unprecedented. Manoj told IANS, "It's a very well written script about an RBI Governor, how his out-of-the-box decision completely took the country out of crisis. When we talk about heroes, we usually make films on army officers or politicians. But I felt that for the first time, we are talking about a man who was working behind the curtain from a new sector; we are talking about such a department which drives the policy of a very crucial department."
The Economic Crisis of 1991
The actor further mentioned that people in the financial and economic machinery of the nation had a humongous task in front of them as the country's well-being and people's livelihoods were at stake at every step. He shared, "I didn't have any other reasons to say no to it. Rather, I thought that this would add to my knowledge about the world and educate me. We are talking about 1991, there was a war between Iraq and Kuwait, there was a big crisis in the country. So, this is a story of that time, it is a story of the decision of that time."
Challenges of Playing an RBI Governor
He shared that the role was particularly challenging given his different educational background. "So, understanding all these things, first of all understanding, researching, reading many things on each term was a very big task. Because I am not an economics student, my mathematics was not good. So, my hard work was increasing. And I was able to read all the videos and materials. I got a lot of help from them," he added.
About the Film 'Governor'
'Governor' is presented by Sunshine Pictures, produced by Vipul Amrutlal Shah, and directed by Chinmay Mandlekar. It is co-produced by Aashin A. Shah and written by Suvendu Bhattacharyjee, Saurabh Bharat, Ravi Asrani, and Vipul Amrutlal Shah. With lyrics by Javed Akhtar, the music of the film is composed by Amit Trivedi. 'Governor' is set to release on June 12, 2026.
