‘Completely blown away’: Manoj Bajpayee says Obsession actress Inde Navarrette deserves an Oscar. Family Man actor reveals what he loved most about Curry Barker’s horror film

Director Curry Baker’s Obsession redefined the horror genre. The film, starring Inde Navarrette and Michael Johnston in key roles, premiered this year in May and turned out to be a global hit with its atmospheric horror, jump scares, excellent storytelling, and powerful performances from the lead. Beyond traditional scary sequences, the movie also touched on themes of toxic masculinity, the ‘nice guy’ syndrome, and psychological manipulation in relationships. So, it wasn’t a surprise when Manoj Bajpayee recently revealed that Obsession left a deep impact on the Family Man actor.

Manoj Bajpayee on Obsession

Manoj Bajpayee, in a conversation with Filmfare, admitted that he went to watch Obsession for his daughter, without having any great expectations, but ended up loving that movie. The actor confessed that he was absolutely blown away by the film, praising the narrative, cinematography, and acting.

‘I am still not over that film, in terms of its crafting, the performances of the lead actors and the camera work,’ Manoj Bajpayee told the outlet. The 57-year-old even shared that he would be surprised if Inde Navarrette did not win an Oscar for her flawless performance in the film.

About Obsession

For the unversed, Obsession centres around Bear (Michael Johnston), who works as a shop clerk. Although Bear harbors feelings for his friend Nikki (Inde Navarrette), his shy nature restricts him from confessing his feelings to her. That’s when Bear purchases a mysterious artifact, the One Wish Willow, wishing for Nikki to fall deeply in love with him.

Bear’s wish works, but it soon spirals out of control when Nikki grows intensely obsessed with Bear. Her erratic behaviour, clinginess and violent mannerisms threaten Bear as well as their friend circle, ultimately leading to a terrifying conclusion as Bear learns the price of emotional coercion and the deadly consequences of overriding someone's agency. Obsession is now streaming on JioHotstar.

Manoj Bajpayee’s projects

Coming to Manoj Bajpayee, the actor was last seen in the thriller film Gajab Raat. The movie, which marked the directorial debut of Ritesh Shah, premiered on Netflix on October 23.

Nushrratt Bharuccha, Saqib Saleem, Divya Dutta, Akshay Oberoi, Kiku Sharda, and Shraddha Das are also part of Gajab Raat. Apart from that, Bajpayee’s psychological thriller Last Man in Tower also premiered on ZEE5 on November 6, months after its theatrical release.