Manoj Bajpayee says he almost lost his mental stability, had to stop shooting during Gali Guleiyan

Actor Manoj Bajpayee has recalled the challenging experience of shooting for his 2018 critically-acclaimed film, Gali Guleiyan. 

Directed by Dipesh Jain, Gali Guleiyan is a psychological drama about a lonely man, Khuddoos, trapped within the city walls of Old Delhi and his own mind. The film was released in theatres in India in 2018 but struggled to find an OTT platform. After four years, it has finally began streaming on Amazon Prime Video from this month. 

According to Manoj, this has been one of the most challenging roles of his life, one that almost pushed him to the verge of losing his mental stability.

He shares, "Preparing for the role has been such an immersive experience that my wife, worried about my mental health, asked me to take a break and regroup. Later, during the shoot, I built my life around the sets, stayed there post-shooting, and even started sleeping at the sets in Chandni Chowk, Old Delhi, to get fully absorbed in character. This took a toll on me, and I observed a sudden weight loss. My mental health also started to get affected; On the 28th or 29th day of the shoot, I suddenly started hearing a whistling sound; it was as if I could listen to and feel it all over my body. This was when I realised I was on the verge of breaking down, so I informed the director, Dipesh, and he stopped the shooting. However, due to budget constraints, we couldn't afford to take an extended break, so I had to regather within a day and get back to shooting. This has been an excruciatingly painful and, at the same time, one of the most rewarding experiences for me as an actor."

Manoj is happy that Gali Guleiyan has found a new home on OTT. 

"This film has been very close to my heart, and I felt responsible for it. From talking to exhibitors & distributors, taking it to all the major film festivals, and fighting for its release on OTT, I was there for the team every step of the way and wherever my involvement was needed. It has been a fight, and I have thoroughly enjoyed being a part of it. And I am thrilled that it is released on an OTT platform."