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EXCLUSIVE: Manoj Bajpayee calls completing 100 films in showbiz ‘miracle’; admits he wasn’t aware of this feat himself
In an exclusive conversation with Pinkvilla, Manoj Bajpayee admitted that he wasn't aware that his upcoming Bhaiyya Ji would be his 100th film and how he decided to market it.
Manoj Bajpayee is currently gearing up for the release of his next Bhaiyya Ji which is set to hit the theatres on May 24, 2024. The movie will mark the actor’s 100th film in showbiz and this is a fact that even Bajpayee himself didn’t know for a long time.
In an exclusive conversation at Pinkvilla Masterclass, Manoj Bajpayee shared that it was filmmaker Apoorv Singh Karki who first told him about his big feat. “He told me one day, ‘Sir do you know that you have completed your 100 films’ and I was completely surprised”, Manoj told us adding that it was his team who insisted he market Bhaiyya Ji as ‘Manoj Bajpayee’s 100th film’.
Calling the milestone, a ‘miracle’, Manoj shared, “When I look back at the time when I first came to Mumbai, I never thought I’d even be able to do 10 films but now see - I am 100 films down.”
When did Manoj Bajpayee first think he wanted to be an actor?
Manoj Bajpayee revealed that he aspired to be a performer ever since his childhood. He detailed to us, “I did my early education in a small village in Bihar named Bettiah. Ever since I got my senses, I saw my father as a filmy buff. He used to travel to cities from villages to watch cinemas at a time when there used to be just three theatres in total.”
Manoj says back in time when people would express that they wanted to be an actor the society of a village would not let you be one. He detailed, “First they used to think you are a Bhand (a denigrated community of folk entertainers) - ‘Kya bhandgiri karne lage tum’. The second thing they will do whatever in their capacity to not let you choose acting as a career.”
Manoj revealed that his villagers would wish him to get married at the age of 22 and become a father by 24. “I lied that I was going to study at Delhi University but I knew I was going to pursue theatre”, the 55-year-old added.
Manoj further confessed that it is difficult to find one’s foot in showbiz as the ratio of success in Mumbai is quite low. Especially when one comes from a non-film background, they’ll have to be fine in their craft and as soon as they get their first opportunity, they should nail it so that they can be offered more work.
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