Gajab Raat Star Manoj Bajpayee Talks Women Leads and OTT Growth

Mumbai, October 30: As he prepares for the release of the crime thriller 'Gajab Raat', actor Manoj Bajpayee has spoken about the changing trends in Hindi cinema. He believes that although male characters have always held the spotlight in mainstream Bollywood, women have been slowly but firmly establishing themselves as lead performers.

The actor said that heroines have been leading films for many years. He mentioned female-oriented films featuring Vidya Balan and Kajol as examples of how women have long been driving stories on screen. Bajpayee noted that the transformation may have taken time, but it has been happening consistently.

Bajpayee credited OTT platforms with giving a new boost to women-centric narratives. He explained that producing content for digital platforms costs less than releasing a film in cinemas, which has encouraged creators to explore stories that might not have found space in theatrical releases. This, he said, has resulted in a larger number of women-led projects reaching viewers.

He also said that OTT has created a platform for male actors who struggled to find proper recognition in mainstream films. According to him, several such artists are now being respected for their work, and the characters they play have helped them secure a stable and satisfying life.

'Gajab Raat' stars Bajpayee as Delhi Police Sub-Inspector Ajay Nirvit, a corrupt and clever officer. Nushrratt Bharuccha, Divya Dutta, Akshay Oberoi, Saqib Saleem, Shraddha Das and Kiku Sharda also feature in important roles. Directed by Ritesh Shah and produced by Neeraj Pandey, the film was earlier titled 'Ghoos Khor Pandit'. The name was later changed to 'Gajab Raat' after the matter led to controversy and reached the Supreme Court.