Manoj Bajpai, who will be seen as an ambitious, power hungry politician in Prakash Jha's Raajneeti, seems to have found inspiration from an unlikely source: actor turned politician Chiranjeevi. The look and the mannerisms appear to be styled on the South icon, says a media report.
In the film, Manoj, especially during the election campaign scenes, bears a striking resemblance to Chiranjeevi as far as oratory style is concerned. Even his look and his moustache are absolutely similar.
Manoj Bajpai does not agree. He says: “Not at all. I have never observed Chiranjeevi when he was campaigning. It might be a coincidence or some postures might be similar, but there is no deliberate attempt to copy him. I have based my character on someone from my village in Bihar, who I have known since childhood. His name is Brijesh Singh. I wanted to capture his charisma as I play the eldest brother in this family saga. He is extremely ambitious and can go to any extent to fulfill his political ambitions. At the same time, he is a great friend and an interesting character in the film.”
Speaking about the scenes where he resembles Chiranjeevi, he said, “Those are the sequences where I am trying to raise a debate. I was trying to look active and speak my mind. In the scene, I speak aggressively so that people who are listening to me should believe in me. I guess that's why people find this similarity.”
