Thank god item numbers are out: Manoj Bajpayee

National Award-winning actor Manoj Bajpayee is glad that item numbers, which were ruining the storytelling format, are finally out of business.

"I'm glad that item numbers are out now. Thank god they are out?They were somewhere ruining the whole storytelling format. Whatever changes the industry is undergoing, it's good... whether it's for the mainstream or for the parallel cinema," Manoj told IANS.

The actor, who has featured in movies like "Satya", "Shool" and "Zubeidaa", also feels that somewhere the audience has also changed.

He said: "The audience has changed over the years and now, they are showing interest in real things. They want to buy a ticket which is convincing and reliable. That's why Hollywood films are doing so well. The audience has matured. They just don't want to go and watch films only in the name of entertainment."

Manoj, with no film background, believes that it requires a "lot of courage" to be an actor.

He said: "It requires you to drop everything and it is never an easy journey for an actor like me. It was not an easy thing to do. The only thing that kept me going was my conviction and my stubbornness."

For him, roles matter more than awards.

"Awards do not matter to me. It's the roles that matter to me. If awards and critics start mattering to you, then you are on the losing side," the 47-year-old said.

Talking about his latest film "Traffic", he said: "I have seen the film in Malayalam. It was a blockbuster. It has a fantastic plot."

"Traffic" is an emotional thriller based on a road trip from Mumbai to Pune which is based on a true story. The film revolves around transportation of a heart for a heart transplant case, chasing a strict deadline. During the mission they face numerous difficulties and traffic being one of them.

Completed by Rajesh Pillai just before he died, the film has been produced by Deepak Dhar of Endemol India and presented by Foxstar studios.

"Traffic" is set to release on May 6.

--IANS

uma/nn/vm