Actor Manoj Bajpayee, who recently tested positive for COVID-19, said he is “recovering slowly”. The actor said it is important to follow COVID-19 protocols and always have a mask on. The actor virtually joined the trailer launch of his upcoming film, Silence… Can You Hear It on Tuesday.

“I am quarantined because of being infected by coronavirus. I was infected because someone else was not following the rule,” Manoj informed the media who were attending the Silence… Can You Hear It’s virtual trailer launch.

While talking about shooting in the new normal, the National Award-winning actor said, “There are no issues if COVID-19 protocols are followed. The production house made sure that everyone followed the COVID-19 protocol. There is a limitation (with the new normal) but we have to get used to it. We could complete the film only because we followed the protocol. Of course, it takes time to adjust. Sanitisers and masks have become part of our life. But we have to continue working.”

Talking about his symptoms, Manoj said he is resting but gets irritated with his headaches. “You cannot sit at a place for a long time. You feel weak, you have headaches and many other discomforts. Because of my symptoms, I am mostly sleeping or resting. I suffer with bad headaches. Even right now, while talking to you, I can feel the headache getting worse,” said Manoj hoping that “no one gets infected with coronavirus.”

Silence Can You Hear It sees Manoj playing a hot-headed cop who wants to solve a murder-mystery. This is the first time Manoj has attempted the whodunnit genre. But the actor has portrayed several characters on-screen in his career.

When asked if there is any role or genre left for him to attempt, Manoj told indianexpress.com that for him “the world is full of stories.”

“You are never short of stories but short of choices. The world is full of stories. There are billions of people, which means there are billions of characters waiting for us to be played. If there are choices, I will be happy to do anything that interests me at that point of time. Having said that, you can never say that you are done as an actor,” the Satya actor said. He added that for him “acting is a tricky craft.”

“Just when you think you have got it right, it surprises you with the amount of depth it exposes you with. Suddenly, it tells you that you are not efficient enough to tackle a particular role. So, one is always learning (in the profession) about the nuances of the craft, and is constantly evolving as a person as well as an actor because for me, the two are connected. For me, it (acting) is a very difficult craft.”

Manoj was also all praise for his Silence… Can You Hear It co-stars Arjun Mathur and Prachi Desai. He said new talents like them motivates him to do better. “If you see a talent that has done better than you, you (as an actor) feel motivated. One such talent is Arjun Mathur. And when you see an actor like Prachi (Desai), who has done so much work yet walks in on a set as a newcomer, you feel humbled. So, there is still so much to learn, to be inspired from. I can go on talking about the craft of acting. It is humbling, you always feel humble and incomplete and as if you have not done anything,” The Family Man actor concluded.

On the work front, Manoj’s Silence… Can You Hear It releases on March 26. It will premiere on ZEE5. He is also awaiting for the release of The Family Man season 2.