At one point in our interview, Manoj Bajpayee abruptly pauses our chat because he remembers he had to make a call two hours ago. That is just a glimpse of how swamped he is as a first-time producer. The actor is not only leading Bhaiyya Ji, but also turning producer with it—a role that he describes as “a hell of a job!” “As an actor, when the shoot is over, the film is over. But here, the work starts early and it ends way after the release. I’m taking baby steps, trying to get a hang of it,” he smiles, visibly happy about the next chapter in his three-decade career.

The idea is to produce all kinds of stories, some that won’t even star him. “The purpose is to find fresh voices, new directors and talent. I want to give people a chance to tell their piece. I don’t want to be genre-restricted; middle of the road, massy, indie, I want to create a home for every story. It’s important that storytellers get the space to tell their tales how they want to and be treated with respect.”