Manoj Bajpayee: "I Got Infected With COVID Because Someone Else Didn't Follow The Rule"

Actor Manoj Bajpayee on Tuesday opened up about his COVID-19 diagnosis, saying that he got infected with the virus because someone from his latest film's crew was careless regarding protocols. The 51-year-old actor tested positive for COVID-19 last week after Kanu Behl, the director of his film "Despatch", for which he was shooting, contracted the virus.

Bajpayee said filming amid COVID times is seamless if people take necessary precautions. "You don't face any problem (while shooting) if COVID-19 protocols by the production are followed. The problem arises when you flout those protocols. I got infected with COVID because someone else didn't follow the rule and the entire shoot had to be cancelled," the actor told reporters.

The shoot of "Despatch" has currently been put on hold and will resume in a couple of months. The actor was speaking at the virtual trailer launch of his upcoming feature "Silence... Can You Hear It". Bajpayee, who is under home quarantine, credited the production of "Silence... Can You Hear It", for putting in place strict COVID-19 protocols which the entire crew followed diligently. The actor said the guidelines can feel limiting, especially while working, but one has to accept the current times as "our new truth."

"We could complete the film only because we followed the protocol, wore masks, kept sanitisers. It takes a few days to get used to it but then it doesn't even strike you that you're wearing a mask. Today, sanitisers and masks have become a part of our life. This is our truth and we have to follow this if we want to keep working," he added.

During the event, when co-star actor Arjun Mathur joined the press meet and asked Bajpayee about his health, "The Family Man" star said he was "recovering slowly."

Produced by ZEE Studios and directed by Aban Bharucha Deohans, "Silence... Can You Hear It?" will premiere on March 26 on streaming platform ZEE5. Bajpayee said the film, which follows a woman's mysterious disappearance, is a faithful whodunnit.

"This has all the elements which will intrigue the audience. It has a non-compromising whodunnit script. Aban was the right person for this. She's a friend and I always knew she was completely into this genre. People are really going to enjoy the film," he added.

"Silence... Can You Hear It?" also stars Prachi Desai, Sahil Vaid, Vaquar, Barkha Singh, Shirish Sharma, Sohaila Kapoor, Amit Thakkar and Garima Yagnik.