Manoj Bajpayee is regarded as one of Bollywood’s most accomplished and talented actors. Our Editor-in-Chief, Kamiya Jani and Mashable India’s Siddhaarth Aalambayan met Manoj for this Sunday Brunch X The Bombay Journey episode. They caught him right before the release of his 2023 film, Gulmohar. The conversations revolved around his films, TV series, theatre days and more. During the chat, Manoj talked about how Director Shekhar Kapur said something that left him jolted.
Here’s What Director Shekhar Kapur Said To Manoj Bajpayee
Manoj began talking about his career trajectory. He revealed that he never wanted to step into Mumbai. However, to have a successful career in the film industry he had to make his way to the city. At that point, it was a necessity.
The reason behind this necessity was a reality check given by Director Shekhar Kapur. The director called out the theatre actors in his 1994 Bandit Queen film for still being in theatre. Manoj was one of them and said, “Shekhar Kapur ne daara diya tha ki kitne saal theatre karoge? Paisa hai nahi tum logo ke pass aur kisi kaam ke paise milte nahi hai…”
Kapur mentioned that theatre actors didn’t have a stable income and without a steady salary it was difficult to provide for their family. This is what opened their eyes. Manoj said that after Kapur’s reality check speech, a bunch of them shifted to Mumbai to pursue their dreams of entering Bollywood. Years later, Manoj has made it big in the film industry and has cemented his position as a big star.
Also Read: Here Are All The Films That Manoj Bajpayee Has Improvised Scenes In
Manoj Doesn’t Run After Big Paychecks
Manoj told us that acting has always been his passion. However, he is selective of the work he does. As making loads of money is not the ultimate goal for him. He shared that he seldom goes for those masaledar movies that are an instant hit at the box office.
That genre of movies is a hit-or-miss. So, he tries to avoid them even when the offered paycheck is massive. Lastly, he said that he doesn’t believe in the ‘100-crore club’ category and chooses films if he truly likes the character offered to him.
Also Read: Manoj Bajpayee Bought His First House 6 Years After Satya
That’s not all! Manoj also talked about his struggling days in Mumbai, staying with 10 other struggling actors and directors under one roof and more. Watch the full video to know more.
Cover Image Courtesy: Internal
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