Bollywood’s most underrated actor Manoj Bajpai has played some of the finest characters. In a recent post for Humans of Bombay, Manoj took a trip down memory lane to describe what life was like before he became one of the Indian industry’s most sought after actors. The actor shared in detail about his struggles and dark moments before finally getting to do what he dreamt. From being a self-proclaimed ‘Amitabh Bachchan’ fan to a mere ‘farmer’s son’, Manoj begins his story from when was in Bihar at the age of 17.
Read his post here:
“I’m a farmer’s son; I grew up in a village in Bihar with 5 siblings – we went to a hut school. We led a simple life, but whenever we went to the city, we’d go to the theatre. I was a Bachchan fan and wanted to be like him. At 9, I knew acting was my destiny. But I couldn’t afford to dream and continued my studies. Still, my mind refused to focus on anything else, so at 17, I left for DU. There, I did theatre but my family had no idea. Finally, I wrote a letter to dad – he wasn’t angry and even sent me Rs 200 to cover my fees! People back home called me ‘good for nothing’ but I turned a blind eye.”
Manoj Bajpai also revealed he experienced suicidal thoughts after repeatedly being rejected by the National School of Drama, “I was an outsider, trying to fit in. So, I taught myself English and Hindi – Bhojpuri was a big part of how I spoke. I then applied to NSD but was rejected thrice. I was close to committing suicide, so my friends would sleep next to me and not leave me alone. They kept me going until I was accepted.”
The actor made his debut with a one minute scene in “Drohkaal” (1994). He went on to star in Shekhar Kapur’s highly acclaimed film “Bandit Queen” in the same year. “That year, I was at a chai shop when Tigmanshu came looking for me on his katara scooter – Shekhar Kapur wanted to cast me in Bandit Queen! So I felt I was ready and moved to Mumbai. Initially, it was tough – I rented a crawl with 5 friends and looked for work, but got no roles. Once, an AD tore my photo and I’ve lost 3 projects in a day. I was even told to ‘get out’ after my 1st shot. I didn’t fit the ideal ‘hero’ face – so they thought I’d never make it to the big screen. All the while, I struggled to make rent and at times even a vada pav was costly.”
After struggling for four years after his first one screen break, Manoj was cast in a significant role in Mahesh Bhatt-directed TV show “Swabhimaan”. The show became the reason for him playing the most iconic role of “Satya” in 1998. “But the hunger in my stomach couldn’t dissuade my hunger to succeed. After 4 years of struggle, I got a role in Mahesh Bhatt’s TV series. I got Rs 1500 per episode – my first steady income. My work was noticed and I was offered my first Bollywood film and soon, I got my big break with Satya,” said the Sonchiriya actor. Manoj Bajpai won the Best Supporting Actor National Award for his performance in Satya.
“That’s when the awards rolled in. I bought my first house and knew… I was here to stay. 67 films later, here I am. That’s the thing about dreams – when it comes to turning them into reality, the hardships don’t matter. What matters is the belief of that 9-year-old Bihari boy and nothing else,” a hopeful Manoj Bajpai concluded.
In a career spanning 26 years, Manoj Bajpai has one of playing some of the most critically acclaimed characters in Bollywood. The actor is credited for his role in films like “Pinjar”, ” Shool”, “Gangs of Wasseypur”, “Aligarh”, “The Family Man”, and many more others. In 2019, he was honored with the Padma Shri for his contribution to art and cinema.